FateRenewal
by TimeForced
Summary: Kurosaki Ichigo just wants to forget everything that happened. The supernatural is no longer his domain, and he has two little sisters to support. And then the unthinkable happens, and he meets a blond girl who reminds him uncomfortably of Rukia.
1. A New Sword

Disclaimer: Don't own Bleach or Fate/Stay Night.

* * *

"Hell no! You're not sleeping in the same bed as me! Especially not with my sisters in the room!"

"Master-"

"And I told you to stop calling me master! It's either Ichigo or Kurosaki, nothing else. If we're going to be partners then you need to at least get that much right."

The small blond girl fumed for a second before gritting out her next sentence, "...fine, Ichigo. But I still need to be close to protect you, and I can respond best from your bed."

"No means no!" Ichigo, an orange-haired young man, stood with his back straight and a commanding glint in his eyes. To the side of the two combating parties, a pair of middle school girls sat up in their beds, enjoying the verbal match.

One, with black hair that went slightly past her shoulders and a lithe, athletic frame, leaned over to whisper to the other, "Ichigo's really been getting that 'Parental Death Glare' down lately hasn't he?"

The other, with shoulder length blonde hair and joyous eyes, whispered back, "Hey Karin, you think we should get revenge on Ichi-nii for waking us up?"

Karin nodded her head, a feral smirk spreading across her face, "Yuzu, I've got just the idea."

Meanwhile, Ichigo continued his lecture, "I'll sleep on the floor and you get my bed. It's bad enough that you've ruled out the couch in the living room, but I draw the line at sleeping in the same bed."

The blond girl's steely green eyes glared right back at him, "In that case, Ma-Ichigo, I will sleep on the floor and you take your bed."

Ichigo scowled, stern features going dark, "I'm not letting a girl sleep on the floor. That's just not okay. You take the bed and I'll use some spare blankets on the ground. Now stop complaining! I'm the one who has suffer on the cold carpet!"

In the corner, Karin chimed in with a completely serious voice, "But Ichi-nii, you didn't have a problem when Yuzu-chan and I slept in your bed?"

Ichigo turned his scowl on his sister, but the damage was done. His harrasser-ahem, partner-Saber looked at Karin for a second before turning back to Ichigo, her face darkening, "Is this so? Then I do not see why you have such a problem with me in your bed."

Feeling that a scowl was insufficient, Ichigo pointed at Saber, "This is totally different! Seriously, they're my sisters, and you're just some random girl!"

Saber's face grew darker still, and the teen threw up his hands, "Gah! This is ridiculous, get over here!"

Ichigo grabbed Saber's hand and dragged her out of the bedroom and through the adjacent living room to the kitchen. Letting go of her wrist, he turned to face her, expression again set in lecture mode, "Look, I get that your job is to protect me, and I appreciate that. But what you're asking is over the line. You take my bed, which is near the window by the way, and you can watch for enemy...Servants or Masters...just fine. Deal?"

Green eyes searched his for a second before he recieved a stiff nod, "That is...acceptable."

Ichigo looked out the glass into the dark night for a second before turning back to his Servant, "One more thing. If an enemy of any kind does actually attack the house, you forget about me and get my sisters out of here immediately."

Saber started before her eyes narrowed, "My duty is to protect my Master."

Ichigo leaned forwards slightly, meeting her gaze, "Your duty is to listen to my orders, and if I have to I will use a command spell. My sisters are your top priority. If you want, you can get them somewhere safe and come back for me, but first I want you to take them as far and as fast as possible in case I do die and you fade."

The two glared at each other for a second before Saber replied, "I refuse. I came here to win this war, and if you won't even protect yourself there is no way we can succeed."

Ichigo huffed and turned away, kneeling to search through a cabinet. He popped a small compartment embedded in the wall open and pulled out a small, metallic rectangle about the size of a hand. Holding it up in front of himself, he fiddled with it for a second before a glowing blue blade fizzled into existence, "I have no intention of dying, only distracting and running. That doesn't change the fact that my sisters take precedence. You saw how capable I was in that warehouse, no matter how powerful Servants are. I won't last against a serious Servant, but with the homefield advantage and surprise, I should be able to escape on my own."

Saber looked at the sword for a second before returning to Ichigo's face, "I thought you said you weren't a magus?"

Another huff, "I'm not. I'd never even heard of them before I ran into that summoning thing-not that I'm surprised they exist. This is just a gift from a friend."

Saber held out a hand, examining the sword when it was given to her, "And this has to do with that Hollow?"

Ichigo nodded, "Something like that. Can we get to sleep now?"

"Fine. But I expect an explanation tommorrow. Also, I want to spar you so I can determine your chances of survival in this war. Without any magic, we must rely on your fighting skills to keep you alive."

Ichigo waved a hand dismissively as he turned away, "Whatever, I'm tired."

* * *

"Morning Ichi-nii! So, are you going to properly explain what's going on?" Yuzu, chipper as always, waved Ichigo to his chair at the kitchen counter.

The house the three lived in was small but cozy. The front door opened straight into the living room, which had the kitchen, the bedroom, and the bathroom attached. The kitchen itself was a small affair with a four burner stove and a cutaway counter that allowed the cook a clear view of the rest of the house and vice versa. Ichigo, Karin, and Yuzu all shared the same bedroom, which was large enough to easily accommodate all three beds despite Ichigo's being the queen size bed they had brought from their house in Karakura when they moved to Fuyuki City.

Ichigo sat down to the breakfast his little sister had prepared, "I told you that Saber is my partner for another war, right?"

Yuzu's bright face fell at that, "Will it...will it be as bad as the last one?"

Ichigo reached over and grabbed his sister's hand, "Hey now, you know I'll never let things end like that again. From what Saber's told me this one is much smaller and non-world ending, so we should be fine. Just to be safe though, I'm going to have Orihime come down to take you two back to Karakura for however long this thing goes on."

Karin's lips turned down at the corner, "What was that Ichigo? I thought I heard you say that you were going to shove us off to the side and fight alone again."

Ichigo frowned back and shook his head, "I never said that. And anyways, there is no way in hell you're going to stay here. Judging by how nervous Saber was about not...sleeping in my bed-God she's as bad as Rukia-there's a very real chance that something could happen here. It would be safer for everyone if you two were out of town. Besides, I want to ask Ishida to come down here as well as backup. He's going to lord it over me for all it's worth in that serious, sarcastic way of his, but you both know he has my back."

It was Yuzu's turn to frown, "But Ichi-nii, you promised no more secrets."

Ichigo nodded, "And that's why I'm telling you both what's going on." He focused on his food for a few seconds, a thoughtful scowl on his face, "...how about this. I'll call every night and tell you what I know and what's happened each day. Sound acceptable?"

Both of his sisters reluctantly nodded.

From the bedroom, Saber walked in looking remarkably unruffled despite having just woken up. "Good morning Ichigo, Karin, Yuzu. Who made breakfast?"

Yuzu waved enthusiastically, "I did! I made everyone lunch too! Actually, do you need a packed lunch Saber-chan?"

Before Saber could reply, Ichigo spoke up, "No, that's fine Yuzu. Unless Saber wants to look around the city then she's going to stay at home for today."

Saber paused to look at Ichigo, "Ichigo, there is much we need to talk about."

Ichigo shrugged, "It'll have to wait till later. I have to walk Yuzu and Karin to their new school and I have school all day. By the way, don't you have a test today Karin?"

Karin nodded as she tied her hair up in a pony-tail, "Yep, just a history test. No biggy."

Ichigo scowled, "I hope you studied for it."

Both Karin and Yuzu rolled their eyes, "Yes, _Mom_. I did study."

Saber's icy expression melted slightly before it hardened again, "Ichigo, I cannot let you go to school alone."

"You can, and you will. You said yourself that the war was limited to the night hours, so I should be fine." The teen nodded away from the table, "Besides, I figured that you wanted to familiarize yourself with the area."

Saber shook her head, "There is no guarantee that the other Masters will follow the unspoken rules."

Ichigo glanced up, "Well, I'm willing to take that risk. Karin, Yuzu, I want you two to wait at school for me today. I need to talk to your principle about getting you a leave of absence."

Saber glowered slightly at the dismissal, but otherwise accepted her Master's decision. For now.

* * *

After school, the small family ate dinner with Ichigo dodging all questions from Saber and turning everyone's attention to Orihime's visit the next day. About two hours after he got home, Ichigo headed out the front door, "I'll see you two in the morning. Saber, most Masters and Servants are unable to tell my status because I don't have active circuits, right?"

Saber considered his lanky form for a few seconds before shaking her head, "No, you are not going out alone tonight."

Ichigo scowled, "Look, I can't just have you hanging around my work. Besides, someone needs to take care of the house until Yuzu and Karin are out of town."

Saber just blandly stared back, "Ichigo, I cannot let you risk yourself in such a stupid manner. I do not understand why you can't stay in for work so that I may guard all three of you."

An irritable sigh, "I have to go in today, then I'm free for the next week if that makes you feel any better. And no, you still can't come."

Now Saber's eyes narrowed, "Ichigo..."

The orange haired teen held up his hand, "Your tone of voice isn't going to change anything. Watch over the girls. And if I catch you following me, I'm just going to use a command spell."

A few minutes after Ichigo had left, and after a few minutes of palpable seething from Saber, Karin spoke up, "Go ahead and follow our idiot brother to work. We'll be fine here with some of the security that Ichigo has hidden around the place. If anything major shows up I'll call him."

Yuzu pipped up as well, "Take good care of Ichi-nii, Saber-chan. He tends to overwork and take on way more than he can chew."

Saber paused in her hazy rage to look at Karin, "Karin...is Ichigo capable of fighting off a spirit?"

Karin looked up in surprise, "What?"

A grimace, "You see, Masters and Servants share...memories...of their lives when asleep. It is known commonly as the dream cycle. I have seen Ichigo...leave his body? Yes, something about his soul separating from his body for the purpose of fighting off monsters called Hollows. I cannot sense anything, but can he still do that?"

Both Karin and Yuzu avoided Saber's questioning gaze. It was Yuzu who spoke up, "Well...Karin can, or should be able, to do that. She has high-level spiritual power. I was never born with the...weight of soul necessary to do so, but Ichigo was the first to see the dead spirits in our old town. Now though...well, there was a war. I don't know if you've seen it, but it sounds like you haven't. Ichigo had to stop a madman, and in order to do so he gave up his powers. He is just like me now. A normal human being."

Karin caught Saber's eyes, "Just take care of him for us. He's already given everything to protect us, and I don't want to lose him like...just protect him. It's about time someone watches over him instead of the other way around."

"I'll be sure to keep him from harm." Saber nodded gratefully to the pair of twins who got all of the common sense in the family before opening the door and leaping to the rooftops.

Through the connection between Master and Servant, she managed to track him down and shadow his route. The senior crossed the Fuyuki bridge, which Saber remembered as the site of the fight against Caster and his sea monster, and continued on to Shinto. His path went right past a park in the city that reeked of such malice that Saber had trouble following him near. Unsure just what had happened since the last Grail War, Saber decided that telling her Master to stay as far away from that park as possible was a good idea. Although locking him inside the house was beginning to sound more and more appealing.

For the umpteenth time since following her new Master home, Saber wondered at his and his sister's living situation. As far as she could see, they lived without any type of supervision. Indeed, her Master seemed to fill a parent/sibling hybrid role for his sisters. More than that, they all seemed completely unsurprised by the revelation of the Grail War, despite professing no relation to or knowledge of Magecraft or Magi.

From what she had gathered in conversation so far, as well as the dream cycle, her master had, or once had, spiritual sensitivity. Unfortunately, she could no longer feel anything of the sort from the boy, though the last scene from before she awoke, that of her Master facing off against an inhuman monster with a massive cleaver, left her hopeful of their chances in the war. He seemed a much more straightforward fighter than her last Master, despite his infuriating attitude and generally rude comments.

She did, of course, wonder where their father was. A nagging feeling made her fear the answer.

Saber shook off her musings when she realized that she had lost sight of her wayward Master. Going over the last few seconds in her mind, she located the door that her Master had entered.

He had led her to an entertainment district in town. The surroundings were surprisingly high class, though Saber figured that her Master had to have a generous income to support three growing teens on a part-time job salary, night-shift or not.

Deciding that she needed to get inside to prevent Assassin from taking advantage of her Master's rampant stupidity, Saber walked up to the door with her usual confidence, casual clothes provided by Ichigo (who'd bought the wrong size for his sisters more than once) letting her blend in.  
At the door, she reached out and grabbed the handle, only to find it locked. Surprised, she knocked and a small portal slid open around head height...for an average Japanese male. It took a second for the person inside to look down at Saber in surprise.

"Who're you?"

Saber almost bristled at the tone but her usual impassivity showed through, "I am a friend of Ichigo Kurosaki. I would like to talk to him."

A lecherous chuckle, "I thought that boy would never get a woman. Guess even prudes can be more adventurous at that age."

The almost bristle manifested in an icy glare and stiff posture, which only increased the doorman's amusement. "He's on in a few minutes, I'll take you to one of the observation boxes. Can't let our prize fighter's girlfriend go neglected now can we?"

Choosing to ignore the last part of the comment, Saber focused on the relevant information, "Prize fighter?"

The nondescript man grinned widely, "Yeah, that kid just can't lose. Hell, most of his opponents can't even touch 'im! And this is even with the weapons-free rule the boss introduced last year! And whenever he does grab a blade...damn. Like watching lightning strike in the same place on the same man."

Saber frowned slightly, "...I see. I'm sure that I will enjoy watching him."

Her guide's lips twitched downwards a bit, "You don't have to talk so formally, I won't bite. Wait, that's just how you normally are isn't it? Leave it to Kurosaki to find the only prim and proper girl this side of the river. I didn't think he'd be able to shut off his attitude for a girl, honestly." By the end, the man's voice had gotten distinctly exasperated.

This time Saber actually growled, "He didn't."

The doorman glanced at her in surprise before laughing again, "Now I get it! You got his attitude and spunk, just under a different layer. You two already seem similar."

Saber briefly fantasized about grabbing the man and using him to beat Ichigo over the head, but gave it up as a bad job when he showed her to a seat in a small stadium with an octagonal cage at its center. After a few seconds of looking around in confusion, Saber finally realized exactly what Ichigo did at night. The vast majority of people here bore clothing of high quality, and a number resembled the mob bosses that Irisviel had shown her on TV. It looked like the dutiful older brother was a prize fighter. Little better than a mercenary showman.

Saber's lips thinned into a severe white line.

When Ichigo finally came onto the platform, his opponent was just slightly bigger than him. Both wore only shorts and gloves, though Ichigo's opposite opted to wrap his feet. The two took their respective stances across from each other and then the ref stepped out of the cage and signaled the start.  
The match was quick, and brutal. Neither side pulled their punches, and if Ichigo hadn't diverted or dodged the various assaults, he would have far worse than bruises and cuts to deal with. Ichigo's opponent, on the other hand, was not so effective a fighter.

It wasn't even that Ichigo was faster or more skilled.

Saber could see it, in the moment that the other man struck out with a leg or a fist. Ichigo's eyes would dart around, considering the blow far faster than either's body could react, before deciding on a course of action and implementing it.

For the first half of the fight, Ichigo dominated without a single wasted movement. After a short round, Ichigo stepped down his fight when his opponent proved to be sufficiently wearied and beaten. The boy's instincts were just as impressive as his apparently inhuman reaction time. Even without carefully calculating his responses, Ichigo swiftly blocked, countered, and attacked in blinding combos. If it weren't for the fact that the other man had a surprisingly robust constitution, Ichigo would have won on the first exchange.

The finish showed Saber even more. Abandoning his instincts and once more taking in his opponent fully, Ichigo ducked under a desperate haymaker and lauched a simple right cross.

That punch knocked the man six feet into the chain-link boundary with enough force to draw blood from the man's back, break several ribs, and rattle the entire stage.

The raucous cheers from the crowd disgusted Saber.

Ichigo fought in one more match against a man with a good foot and a half on him before walking away with the prize for the little underground tournament.

Saber intercepted him outside.

"You are a disgrace."

Ichigo jumped, swirling around in a smooth motion that brought a knife hand straight at Saber before he halted his instinctive response. Saber's hand was an inch away from stopping the strike.

"To lower yourself to mere spectacle and turn fighting into such a...such a blatant show of brutality, I can't express how dissappointed in my Master I am."

Ichigo scowled at her, "None of your damn business. Now what the fuck are you doing away from the house. I ordered you to protect my sisters."  
Saber glared at him, "This discussion is not over. Why exactly do you feel the need to debase yourself with this vulgar sport? Do you enjoy the pitiful fame? The," a dignified sniff," 'rewards' of popularity?"

Ichigo turned around to square off with his Servant in the middle of the street, "What was that? I've dropped dozens of idiots for lesser insults."  
Saber stalked forwards, "Really? Just what kind of brother are you, to slink off and brawl while your sisters work hard to support you. A delinquent, little better than the bandits of my era. Huh, figures with that attitude and hair."

Ichigo's voice lowered to a deathly cold, menacing tone. His eyes became flinty and within their depths, far past his intentions and mind and buried deep within the boy's soul, Saber saw something that gave her pause. "You think that just because you're some tough hero that I'll let you get away with saying that? Bring it. I'll even let you throw the first damn punch."

Rattled, but refusing to give ground, Saber sneered, "I will not reduce myself to your petty brawls."

Ichigo glared before whirling around and growling out, "Follow me. We'll settle this your way then."

Saber marched after her furious Master, content that she would get to beat a lesson into the arrogant child playacting as an adult.

* * *

Ichigo threw a wooden bokken over to Saber from the kendo club storage. For a heroic spirit and a former delinquent, sneaking into a school at night and breaking into the kendo dojo was child's play. Saber caught the practice sword and swung it around a bit, preparing to beat her Master senseless.  
Ichigo, meanwhile, had closed his eyes and taken several deep breathes. He walked over to the center of the wooden floor and took a sideways stance, sword held in one hand.

Saber drifted over to face him, bringing her bokken into a two-handed ready grip. She narrowed her eyes at Ichigo's single-handed grip, "Do you truly think to match me with a single hand?"

"Shut up, this is how I fight. Now are you ready to go or not?"

A nod answered his question, a quick snark goaded him to action, "Well? Are you going to come at me for my slander? Or was it all true."

Ichigo snarled and stepped forward, sword arcing in towards Saber's side faster than any but the fittest human could manage. Saber, naturally, brought her own sword over to block.

With an experienced eye, Saber watched her Master think through his plan of attack mid-swing. Even as her sword smacked into his, he spun about with the irresistable force ready to take another swing at her.

Saber, of course, wasn't having it. A single step and her bokken smacked Ichigo hard enough on the shoulder to drive him stumbling to his knees.  
He rolled off his bent leg and brought his bokken sweeping back around, attempting to ward off the blow that wasn't coming. His strike screeched to a halt when he saw Saber standing unruffled right back where she started.

Ichigo went stone faced as he looked over his Servant, rubbing his shoulder with one hand. Without a single word, he got back into his stance, watchful.

For a few seconds the two stared each other down, and this time Saber struck first. Her sword blurred, far to fast for even an enhanced human to see. But Ichigo had fought against opponents who strode over mountains and laughed at gravity, being unable to see an attack meant little to him.

Saber again considered her Master's ability, watching his body go through motions that exceeded its capabilities only to recieve a welt on the sword arm. Ichigo growled, and Saber's lips twitched upwards, a small self-satisfied smile, "It looks like you realize that you stand no chance against a Servant. Now all I need to do is teach you that prize fighting is a pathetic waste of time and we will be on the same page."

The growl got louder, rising to the level of a dull roar, and Ichigo made to swing his sword. Saber scoffed and brought her own around to block it, but Ichigo drew his sword arm inwards before the two met. Saber decided to meet the challenge head on and took a swipe at Ichigo's head, but her eyes widened when the sword that had previously been withdrawn darted out in a simple jab.

He was going to take the hit to his head just to score a blow!

_If that's how he's going to fight...then I have yet to teach him his lesson._

Saber spun, avoiding the sword aimed unerringly for her heart and reversing the swing of her bokken. The momentum doubled and Ichigo tumbled to the floor several feet away, his head ringing and skull pounding.

"Foolish. No Heroic Spirit is going to fall for such a simple ploy, and you will only get yourself killed with a move like that." Saber walked over to where Ichigo was attempting to get off the ground, sword coming to rest just under his chin and green eyes meeting his dazed brown, "You cannot hope to challenge a Heroic Spirit in this condition, Master."

Ichigo's eyes, still slightly confused, sharpened nonetheless, "Shove it."

His leg snaked out, foot hooking onto Saber's ankle and yanking hard enough to surprise her easy stance. So far, Saber had held back on just about everything. Her strength, speed, and even reflexes were being suppressed to conserve prana. The problem was that her master had no magic circuits to speak of. To be entirely honest, there should have been no way for him to summon her, but piggybacking on another magus' summoning seemed to have done the trick, if on accident.

With her natural strength and speed suppressed, Ichigo managed to achieve sufficient time and opportunity to force her off of her feet.

Not even bothering to get up, he swung his bokken, which he had held onto the entire time, down on Saber.

Despite the best possible conditions for Ichigo, Saber was simply to fast. Her hand shot out, catching the ground and letting her find stability. Her other hand brought her bokken around hard enough to knock Ichigo's sword away and right out of his hand. Gracefully, and fast enough that Ichigo was unable to keep up with his eyes, Saber spun around and hit Ichigo on the side, bruising the bone and throwing him back to the ground.

Standing tall, Saber glared down at her Master, "Fine then. I will just have to beat the truth into your body if your mind refuses to accept it."

An hour later, Ichigo struggled upright, leaning heavily against the wall.

His eyes were still locked onto Saber's own, defiant.

The swordswoman was getting fed up, "Dammit Ichigo! Just accept it, you can't win. Determination is admirable, but stubborness to the point of stupidity will only get you killed!"

Ichigo replied, the first words in an hour of intense...beating. His words came out in short bursts, chest heaving with exertion but expression bright red in fury. "Shut UP! I won't have you just insult me and think it a good opportunity to teach a lesson. This is fucking nothing! I've fought too hard, had too many people tell me to give up, to fall HERE. I won't accept this."

Saber growled, sword shaking in her frustration, "Your pride is WORTHLESS. If you're willing to lower yourself to be a showdog for a few trinkets and a little fame, then why can't you accept a simple loss against your better!"

Ichigo actually chucked his bokken at Saber, unable to cross the distance on his battered legs, "What the HELL WOULD YOU KNOW!" He roared.

"That had nothing to do with me liking fighting! There was no glory or luxury or any of that damn crap you mentioned! I needed goddamn money or I would lose my sisters! You know what? If you can't stand me then just leave. I don't want a damn thing to do with this war! I have a family to take care of, and risking my life for something as ridiculous as the 'Holy Grail' leaves a hell of a bad taste in my mouth. So just leave and find a new Master, bitch."

Saber had stepped back, realizing that she had misjudged Ichigo's actions, but she began to bristle as he went on, "Oh, is that so? So you think you can just walk away from this? You think you can insult my name like that and get away with it?"

Ichigo finally stood up, leaning heavily on his right leg, "Damn right I do! If you can insult me, I can insult you. And this ridiculous little farce of yours? Why should I even participate in it? To help you? I don't even know your actual name!" Ichigo stumbled about slightly, arm out and pointing in accusation at Saber.

Saber glared, not quite sure how to answer. "Do you...really have no wish that you can think of?"

Ichigo stared her in the eye for a second before looking away, "...no. I...don't. At least, not for myself."

"Then what would you wish for if you won?" Saber asked.

Ichigo looked back, habitual scowl back on his face, "Don't ask such personal questions when you won't even give me your name."

Saber's eyes fell, he posture unsure, "Will you tell me if I give you my name?"

Ichigo considered the suddenly not quite so icy girl, "I would wish my father back to life. My mother too. My sister's need them...they need actual parents who can take care of them."

He paused, his voice catching, "Yuzu and Karin can barely even remember Mom. They were only five when she died." A deep breathe, "The worst part...the worst part is that I am the one who led her to die. If I hadn't been such an idiot, if I hadn't fallen for that Hollow's trap, she wouldn't have had to die so that I could live."

He stumbled to the racks, putting his bokken away. To Saber, it looked like his will to fight had just vanished into thin air. Where before his eyes had blazed with fury and stood strong with hidden steel, now they were hollow.

"And...and dad was the same. He died protecting me, died believing in me and giving me the time to stop a madman. If I had been just a little bit stronger, just a little less hesitant, he would probably still be alive making my sisters happy. I was to weak, am still to weak."

He had already started heading out the door, ignoring the sweat and blood from his bruises on the floor and the unsecured storage. Saber darted around, putting away her own bokken and locking everything up. A minute later and she had caught up to his despondent form. His shoulders had lost all the youthful pride and strength that she just now realized he carried around like an unconsious shroud.

The two walked in silence back towards the small apartment Ichigo shared with his sisters. For a long time, Saber had no idea what to say or do. Not until they came into sight of the apartment building did she finally realize just what she needed to say. The two girls had given her a task, and she had a new purpose. A new reason to fight for the grail that just made the first one all the greater.

Rounding on Ichigo, forcing him to look up and pay attention to her, Saber stood tall, proud, and confident, "Kurosaki Ichigo. My name is Arturia Pendragon, King of Knights and wielder of Excalibur. You are my Master in this war for the Holy Grail, and I give you my oath that I shall protect you and your family with all of my strength. If you would have it, my blade is yours to strike down your foes, and if you would have it, my blade is yours to get the Holy Grail and your parents. Will you accept my pledge?"

Ichigo stood, slightly stunned by the sudden declaration, before a new light entered his eyes. Saber watched with approval as his back straightened, "I accept your sword. If you will have me as your Master."

Saber smiled, a small, proud smile, "It would be my honor to call you Master."

That night, Arturia Pendragon dreamed of monsters and shinigami, of new friends and a massive sword.

* * *

A/N: Sooooo, yeah I started this little fiction and can't stop writing it. Surprising actually, I really just want to get this one down. Fifth Grail War, all that jazz. I'm plan on changing Assassin, since without Saber Shirou needs a Servant.

And really, if Hassan-i Sabbah is the archetypal Assassin, then shouldn't the successors to the Old Men on the Mountain, the Assassin Order, get a little air time?

So yeah, I want to stick a sort of hybrid Ezio/Altair character in.

Since neither of the two are known for their special abilities beyond great skill and fitness (And a supernatural ability to survive wounds), I don't want to use them. Also, other plot points that I intend to make use of later. So instead, I'm going to make use of the Zabaniya: Delusional Illusion example crossed with genetic memories.

An Assassin leader following Ezio will manage to unlock his genetic memories to a greater extent than anything short of the Animus.

In this guy's case, skills, memory figments (think those phantoms that Desmond followed around), and personality traits will bleed over. In order to keep everything in order, he will go back in the records and realize that he can compartmentalize, and he will do the same thing as the Fourth Grail War Assassin, only with his ancestors.

Unsure if any of the Hassan-i Sabbah's from Fate will be an ancestor but I doubt it.

Also, I want to reconsider the Templar vs. Assassin war with the addition of the Church and Magi, meaning that Ezio and Altair would have been legitimately stronger and faster than a normal man, like Kirei. No super abilities, but that will be enough. As for an Apple of Eden...I dunno. Also, the Apples would probably be creations of the gods, maybe as a means of reigning humanity in. Sort of like controlling Alaya and stuff. Man, Type-Moon can mesh with EVERYTHING. Probably the reason I like the mythos so much. And no, there will be no great exploration of the Assassin order. This is just an add-on and maybe a small side-plot.

So this should be fun, we'll see what happens.

Pre-disclaimer: I don't own Assassin's Creed. Can't wait to buy number 3.


	2. Alliances

Disclaimer: I do not own Fate/Stay Night or Bleach.

_Italics _are used for emphasis in sentences and to denote thoughts

**Bold** is used for emphasis in sentences and to highlight separate portions of the narrative.

* * *

Shirou Emiya had had a very long day at school. Not that he was complaining; actually, he was more than happy to stay after classes ended and fix up the school heaters. Apparently they had taken too much strain over the winter and a number were already broken or nearly there. Nothing a quick application of Structural Analysis and a few good hours of work couldn't fix.

Helping people made Shirou happier than anything else in this world, and he wouldn't have it any other way.

So when he saw a...well a purple clothed, blue-haired woman lying on the side of the street, he could do nothing less than run over and ask if she was okay.

Upon receiving little to no answer, he decided that leaving a woman passed out alone on the street was just wrong, and picked her up, placing her arms over his shoulders and wrapping her legs around his stomach. Now, he was fit. Far stronger than any other boy his age, Shirou could handle carrying a stranger to his house, but that didn't really mean that he was ready to host her there.

So when he ran across one of his teachers on the way home, he of course asked for assistance.

"Kuzuki-sensei! Could you help me out here! I found this woman passed out and she has no ID or phone."

The stern man stopped and glanced over before nodding and walking up to Shirou. "Should you not take her to the hospital?"

Shirou shook his head, "I don't think so. She doesn't seem very sick, she's just passed out. Besides, my house is closer. If you want, you could stay over for the night and we could talk to her tomorrow about getting her home."

Souchirou Kuzuki looked at the woman for a second before nodding again, "Tomorrow is Sunday, so we could take her home without skipping classes. That is acceptable Emiya-san."

As the two walked home, Shirou felt a sudden burning pain in his hand, but when he glanced over all that he could see was a strange tatoo of some sort. Unsure of just what had happened, he took a look at the sleeping woman's features, but his face instantly reddened.

_Nope, no answers there._

* * *

When Ichigo woke up, it was to a haze of pain and laughter. Actually, it had been so long since his dad had initiated one of his crazy wake-up calls that the boy found himself reacting instinctively, before the memory hit like a sledgehammer:

**Blood. Too much blood. And a sword, a sword of illusion, looking all too real as it stabbed through his father's heart right in front of him. At the center of it all, responsible for the situation but barely acknowledged, the coldly joyful face of the man who wanted to become a God.**

The lapse in the present faded, and Ichigo yelled out, "That's it you brats! I'm going to destroy you two for that!"  
Leaping out of his makeshift bed, Ichigo sprinted into the living room where both of his sisters were pointing and laughing at him. His body hurt all over, twinges of pain from bruises protesting every movement, but he ignored them and swiftly closed, blanket in one hand and pillow in the other.

Both Karin and Yuzu leapt up to meet him, brandishing their own pillows. A swift melee ensued.

With his first strike, Ichigo laid Yuzu out flat on the couch before turning to Karin, but he was met in the face by a flying cushion. Reeling, he began to trip on the blanket he held. Karin took advantage of the opening and jumped in close, pillow swinging for his legs. With a twist, Ichigo freed himself and kept his balance, bringing the blanket swirling through the air around his sister.

A practiced movement had the blanket wrapped tightly around the thirteen year old. Ichigo barrelled forward and swept Karin off of her feet, depositing her on the couch that Yuzu had vacated in her attempts to rescue her sister.

With a wild battlecry, Yuzu took to the air and landed on her brother's shoulders, and Ichigo winced. Both Karin and Yuzu grinned in triumph at that, and Yuzu proceeded to batter her brother about the head and shoulders with a pillow.

Desperate, Ichigo stumbled into the bedroom and yanked the blanket off of Yuzu's bed, unmindful of the vaguely amused, mostly bewildered look they were getting from Saber.

With another swift movement, Ichigo twisted his sister off of his shoulder and dropped her on the bed, blanket cocooning her as well. Knowing what came next, he juked to the side to avoid the projectiles from Karin. Dropping to the ground, he caught the charging girl around the middle and upended her on the bed. Before she could react, he jumped over to the adjacent bed and stole that blanket as well, throwing it like a gladiator's net to entangle her.

Making sure that Yuzu was still restrained, he grabbed Karin about the middle and rewrapped her, head and all, before placing her beside the struggling Yuzu.

A muffled huff came from the bedcover, "He went out and got in a fight again, didn't he Yuzu."

Yuzu nudged her sister's head, "I think he might have got the lesson this time, Nee-san."

Karin growled, "He never gets the lesson. And if I have to ambush him all day, he will learn to stop getting into trouble or his bruises will be getting bruises."

Ichigo stood over them, "Hey, I didn't get this from a fight. I got it from a lesson. Saber over here decided that she was just as fed up with my...uh...fighting, as you two. She tried to teach me the same lesson as you guys, she's just better at it."

Yuzu looked at Saber with starry eyes, "Can you teach me to beat my brother up, Saber-chan!"

Saber gave the girl a non-plussed look, "Um...aren't you two leaving today?"

Ichigo slapped a hand to his head, "Gah! I forgot!"

A knock on the door a few minutes later found Ichigo scrambling to clean up some of the mess while Yuzu struggled to free the squirming Karin. Saber just watched, unsure what exactly would bring about this apparent change in her Master from the surly personality that dominated his younger years and the majority of his interactions with outsiders.

Through the plaster walls of the apartment, a bright and cheery voice called out, "Kurosaki-kuuun! Karin-chaaan! Yuzu-neeee! I'm here!"

Ichigo grumbled slightly before opening the door. His scowl was gone, but only a slight upturn of his lips signified his happiness at seeing an old friend. The door opened to reveal a smiling, burnt-orange haired girl, who made to hug Ichigo only to hesitate.

Seeing this, Ichigo reached out and gave her a one-armed hug, "It's good to see you again Inoue. Karin and Yuzu missed you."

Orihime relaxed and hugged him back, "You too, Kurosaki-kun."

As Ichigo moved to resume cleaning up the mess of the living room, Saber walked out. Orihime stiffened slightly before her overwhelmingly friendly personality forced her to move again, "Hi! My name is Orihime Inoue, who are you?"

Even with her generally timid yet kind nature, Orihime placed a certain amount of demand into her question.

Saber bowed in the Japanese manner, "My name is Saber. It is a pleasure to meet you."

Ichigo groaned slightly, "Sorry about that, I forgot to mention Saber. Orihime, you know the reason that I asked you to pick up the girls is because something is going down in town right?"

Orihime suddenly looked worried, but she nodded.

"Saber here is going to be my partner in the...competition," he continued. "So she's staying with me for however long it goes on. Ishida should be staying here as well when he comes down. By the way, did he say anything about when he could make it?"

Orihime relaxed her face, but an undercurrent of tension remained, "Yes, he said he had to make arrangements to get his work emailed to him, but that he will be here within three to four days."

Ichigo frowned slightly and looked over at Saber, "How long does this usually last? Wait, has the tournament even started yet?"

Saber shook her head, "From what I can tell, there were only two other pairs at the time of my...entry. So it should be a few days or even a week until everything gets started. From there, I expect that it will take another week or two for someone to win."

Karin and Yuzu came in, Karin at a more sedate pace while Yuzu sprinted straight at Orihime, "Inoue-nee!"

The two collided, enveloped in a hug. Karin snorted as she walked to the kitchen, raising a hand in greeting, "Yo." Somehow, she had managed to clean up and get dressed within the short amount of time since the battle royale had ended.

The five people all crowded onto the kitchen counter after Yuzu and Ichigo cooked breakfast. Although it was really Yuzu cooking and Ichigo following directions.

Saber, as the Kurosaki family had learned, ate frankly unreal amounts of food, so the meal was significantly larger than the usual Sunday morning breakfast. Between Saber's inhuman appetite, Ichigo and Orihime's above average meals, and the twins, nothing was left behind.

Ichigo pointed at Orihime with his chopsticks, "I still think you three should leave town right after we eat."

Orihime pouted, "Kurosaki-kuuun, I haven't seen you in months! We should all go out for the day. I'll leave with Karin-chan and Yuzu-chan by 5!"

Ichigo shook his head, "That's too dangerous. It's already almost dark by then and I don't want to risk anyone targeting you guys."

Orihime straightened and pointed at him triumphantly, "Aha! I knew this was a crazy fight to the death between heroes of the ancient past! And I bet you even have some sort of compulsion power now too! And then they will engage each other with legendary weapons summoned from myths and empowered by magic. And all of you are fighting for a godlike artifact with unfathomable powers!"

Saber began to panic slightly, though her face remained impassive, but Ichigo just gave his friend a deadpan stare, "You're letting your imagination run away with you again, Inoue."

Yuzu caught her brother's attention and grabbed ahold of his shirt, eyes shining with tears, "Come on Ichi-nii. We won't be able to see you for weeks! Just let us spend one more day with you."

Ichigo recoiled from the dreaded little sister Puppy-Dog Eyes attack, but he slumped in defeat a moment later, "Fine. We'll all head out to the city for the day. But I'm sticking you all on the train by 5!"

Yuzu and Orihime high-fived happily while Karin and Saber gave each other significant glances. Both were in complete agreement, 'Ichigo is pathetically weak, and you are the only sane person that I can count on.'

* * *

It was nearing 4 o'clock and Ichigo had begun to get visibly antsy. Not that he'd been relaxed and patient all day, oh no. Ichigo had followed his sisters and old friend all over town, from one side of the river to the other, and watched as his hard earned money got spent at a frightening rate.

At least Orihime and the girls had all pooled resources to buy Saber her new casual outfit.

Now Ichigo found himself outside a video game shop while Orihime and Yuzu gushed over the newest action game and dragged Saber all over the store, which he really couldn't understand.

Even Karin was perusing the sports games.

Ichigo had opted to remain outside, watching the passers-by and glancing anxiously at the clock. They really had to hurry to the train station. The street mall that they had walked for the past few hours had hundreds of people walking this way and that, and Ichigo found it hard to distinguish between one face and the next.

As Ichigo turned around to enter the store and drag his siblings straight to the train, his senses blared an alarm at him.

Reacting without thought to an instinct that hadn't been used for years, Ichigo ducked down, spinning into the thin cover of the doorway.

Glass shattered and patrons began to scream.

Ichigo almost didn't catch sight of the attack, the spinning knife nothing more than an indistinct streak of light even to him.

Saber did, and Saber reacted.

Even as Ichigo rushed to gather his sisters and friend up, Saber ran to the front of the store, pushing away several panicked customers. With sharp eyes, Saber attempted to find the Servant, for only a servant could throw a knife at near invisible speeds, that had attempted to stab her Master in the back.

She found nothing but a curious crowd and a few panicked gazes.

"Saber! We need to get them out of here!"

Saber was nervous. There was no way for her to keep watch on all four of her charges, because now she considered Orihime her responsibility as well, in this crowd.

All it would take is an inconspicuous approach through the people scattered about the mall, and one or all of the non-combatants would be dead before she could react.

So how would she do this? Hole up in the store and wait it out? They'd have to stay there all night, exposed to Assassin and other Servants that might come along. Like that battle-mad Lancer she fought when she was summoned.

Her answer was given to her when Ichigo came up and grabbed her shoulder, "Orihime will shield herself and my sisters. There's no way a blade with only that much force will break through."

Saber turned to face her master and wondered at what he meant, when she caught sight of an orange glow out of the corner of her eyes. When she turned fully to split her attention, she realized that some sort of glowing orange oval, just barely discernible to her, surrounded the three other girls. Filing the information away for later, she returned to watching for another knife.

Ichigo continued to scan the crowd and talk at the same time, "I'll watch your back so a blade doesn't slip through. You just make sure to keep away any overwhelming attacks. I'm trusting you to get us to the train."

The group of five moved slowly through the crowds, which had dispersed from around the store and resumed walking the closed off street.

Orihime's orange shield formed an invisible barrier around the three non-combatants, invisibly and intangibly pushing normal people out of the way. Saber had drawn Invisible Air, relying on the concealing wind to both deceive their hunter and keep the crowd unaware. Ichigo had taken out the handle to the Seele Schneider that Ishida had given to him when he left Karakura town, but he had yet to activate it.

Saber was tense, doing her best to reach out with all of her senses and bringing her body to peak fighting condition. Every shift in the crowd, every swish of clothes and reflection of a cell-phone, was spotted and categorized. Her body had begun to twitch at the unfamiliar situation, but she refused to falter or fail. Trusting to her high Instinct skill to warn of an impending attack, Saber made sure to keep a close eye on her exposed Master.

The other four were in similarly condition, high-strung and jumping at any sudden movements. Ichigo in particular was nearly frantic, his eyes darting this way and that until they became a blur.

Karin and Orihime, despite being protected by Soten Kesshun's shield, were almost as bad as the two outside of the secure field.

Ten minutes later they had left the mall's clogged street far behind and relaxed slightly, reasonably safe from a point-blank surprise attack.

Which is of course when several dozen different blades, arrows, bullets, and even musket balls darted towards the group from the rooftops, alleyways, cars, and every nook imaginable.

Saber went into action immediately, darting around Ichigo to block the incoming attacks. The pair was forced to back away from their companions by the veritable rain of projectiles. Orihime's shield flared under the onslaught, but after a few seconds of concentrated assault the assassins apparently gave up on attacking the three.

Ichigo activated his sword, but the attacks were on the far end of his perception, and so exceeded his body by a wide margin. The bullets traveled at several times the speed of sound, far faster than they should have been. In the end, all that the teen could make out was a furious glimmer of reflected light, short streaks filling the air, and the blue and silver blur that was Saber.

Even Saber disappeared from his sight at times.

Orihime ran over with Karin and Yuzu, attempting to place Ichigo within the barrier as well, but a figure materialized in front of the three, bringing them to a halt.

Even as Saber guarded Ichigo from behind and Ichigo darted over, ready to strike the Assassin in the back, an explosion rocked the area.

Orihime, Karin, and Yuzu had disappeared, a cloud of smoke from the explosion confusing Ichigo's view of the aftermath. All thoughts of battle and imminent death vanished as if they had never existed, replaced with uncontrolled panic and a desperate need to find his only family.

Ichigo began to shout, "Karin, Yuzu, Inoue, where are you three!"

A muffled reply barely overcame the clash of steel and invisible wind, "We're fine, we just got dropped into a big pipe.

A wave of relief washed through him, but Ichigo knew that they could easily be trapped. Ignoring Saber's repeated calls, he hopped down into the cratered hole, leaping over cracked stone with far greater agility than any normal human alive thanks to his inhuman reflexes.

Inside the hole, rubble still tumbled downwards into the water and the shadows fell over everything like a thick blanket. Running water, ankle deep, flowed freely around the debris that had been dropped into the man sized pipe.

Orihime was holding up Karin and Yuzu, both of whom had been knocked out by the impact of the explosion on her Santen Kesshun combined with the short fall. Ichigo landed in the water next to her, let into the shield by her practiced control, and he grabbed his sisters and held them under his arms.

Saber appeared at the top of the hole, "Ichigo! I told you to stay near me!"

Ichigo ignored her and began to struggle up the wall, leaping as best as he could atop the rubble and using it like stepping stones to get the dozen feet to ground level. Orihime followed close behind.

The assault had halted when Ichigo jumped down after Orihime, and the three had a quick conference in the open, shielded by Orihime.

Ichigo glared at the surroundings, "I can't let you guys alone. There's enough of these snipers that they'd probably just follow you out to Karakura and attack there. Saber, I think we're all going to have to stay in the house."

Saber nodded, but she still gave Ichigo the stink-eye, "I agree, Ichigo. We must stick together for the time being until we can prepare adequate defenses. Rest assured, as soon as we have time I am going to lecture you quite thoroughly for your idiocy."

Orihime looked back and forth between the two, who were now facing off angrily, "Ummm...shouldn't we head back to the house now?"

The two pinned her with furious glares before nodding and marching off. Oddly enough, they were remarkably in sync despite their different postures and refusal to acknowledge the other.

* * *

Shirou had had a very confusing day. First, the woman had woken up and asked him if he would be her Master. Unsure of just what she was asking but knowledgeable about familiar contracts, he'd asked if it was really necessary, at which point she told him that the reason she had passed out on the road was her lack of a Master.

Shrugging his shoulders, Shirou had consented and followed the script the woman laid out. Then she'd told him that her name was Caster. Of course, by this time Kuzuki-sensei was also awake, and when the woman began to describe just what Shirou had gotten himself into, Kuzuki stepped forward saying that there was no way he'd let Shirou compete in a battle to the death.

Then Caster had gotten pissed, Kuzuki had moved faster than Shirou had ever expected anyone to move, and Caster was on the ground.

Pretty soon, they came to a compromise. Kuzuki pledged that he would protect his student and the weakened Caster, following her commands, and in return Caster would protect Shirou and follow his orders.

By this time Shirou had considered just what the war meant, and decided that he didn't really want anything to do with it, though he didn't mention it and promised in his mind that he would at least protect Caster and Kuzuki so long as he could.

The three ended up spending the entire day inside the house, with Kuzuki sparring Shirou, Caster fortifying the property, and Shirou getting his ass handed to him. Even when Shirou used a reinforced shinai, Kuzuki darted through everything Shirou attempted with impunity. And then, as Shirou started his magecraft practice, Caster had shown up and critiqued everything he did.

As was his nature, Shirou had merely taken it as advice and sincerely thanked her. The dumbfounded expression on her face had confused Shirou, but he'd chosen to ignore it. To his absolute surprise, he found that he actually had his own magic circuits, and he'd activated them that night with his Servant's help. Caster had looked visibly more relaxed after that, though she had given him a contemplative look that had shivers running up his spine.

Despite that, she taught him a lot more about reinforcement magic than he'd ever known before.

Several days passed in relative peace for the three, barring Taiga's outburst until Kuzuki stepped in. For whatever reason, Sakura hadn't showed up in the mornings, though Shirou was thankful for small mercies. He didn't really want to try explaining the situation to the girl, not to mention that she was probably safer away from them. After all, so long as people stayed away from the Servants, they should be safe from the war.

Kuzuki opted to move in with the two of them, and Shirou quickly fell into his new routine. Caster kept complaining about the two of them going to school despite being involved in a secret war, but neither Shirou nor Kuzuki listened.

On Tuesday, Caster called Shirou over and told him that after the night's practice the two of them would try something new.

Unfortunately, halfway through his nightly routine Caster had stiffened and begun cursing in a foreign language.

* * *

"Shirou, get inside the house. I added a number of bounded fields that should keep anyone from sneaking in. And get that bastard Kuzuki out here!"

Shirou, not entirely sure what was going on, sprinted for the door and called out, "Kuzuki-sensei, Caster needs you!"

Kuzuki sprinted past Shirou, headed towards Caster at the gate. The Servant had opened the thick wooden doors and balls of light were beginning to gather in the air around her, a half-dozen eldritch powers ready to strike out at whatever had her in a semi-panic.

Even as the two came abreast of her, light shot across the street in a blinding pattern of iridescent colors. Shirou had finally realized exactly what was going on, knowing that his Servant was engaging another of her number.

Kuzuki kept moving forward, but Shirou stopped beside Caster, as determined earlier by the three. The fledgling magus felt his power burn, drawn by the contract and fed to the no longer human magus nearby. Looking to the right, he saw a slight scowl on his Servant, and felt a stab of guilt. His Servant was limited by his own shortcomings.

Annoyed that he couldn't really do much of anything, Shirou prepared to reinforce himself and made a vow to aid Caster in any way he could.

Turning back to the other Servant, Shirou found his mind suddenly yanked forwards. The red-clad knight wielded two swords, how Shirou knew he couldn't begin to guess because the only distinct impressions that he could get were blasts of light and whirling red. Even as Shirou became distracted by the incredible fight, Kuzuki kept moving forwards alongside the barrage being put out by the walking artillery that was Caster, yet the other Servant seemed distinctly unconcerned.

And then he felt the rest of the world fade away, replaced with two swords of midnight and midday.

**The first was bright white, a white so pure that it banished the witching hour from about itself and shone like a fallen star. The only mar to its unnaturally perfect surface was a yin-yang symbol on its crossguard. And Shirou could feel a draw, a connection, to the pitch black sword in the swordsman's opposite hand.**

**The other blade disappeared into the background, so dark that it showed not as a distinct object but as a void within the night. A gleaming spiderweb of hexagonal shapes was the only thing that marked its otherwise imperceptible surface. A wordless cry, an eternal call for its partner, sounded across the distance to the white counterpart, an inverse yin-yang decorating its crossguard.**

**The two blades flew in tandem, one with the Servant who wielded them.**

A storm of light and shadow reasserted itself in Shirou's mind. The twin swords were now distinguishable as two black and white streaks and a lack of magical energy, cutting apart and slashing aside the spears of magic sent by Caster. Confused by his increased perception but nonetheless thankful, Caster probably did something, Shirou watched the graceful dance of the enemy Servant carefully.

Every movement seemed just...right. Each strike flowed seamlessly into the next, each block adding power to the opposing slash and each step moving just the right amount to avoid or intercept an attack. The three beings, for both swords stood out as distinct entities in Shirou's mind, moved with a harmony far surpassing any natural or unnatural occurrence that Shirou had ever seen.

And then another dark streak made itself known, backlit by the lightshow created by Shirou's Servant.

Kuzuki had darted forward to attack the enemy, apparently deciding that he knew enough about the Heroic Spirit's fighting style to handily win. Shirou vaguely recalled Caster stating that she would be reinforcing Kuzuki-sensei to act as 'a meat shield to repay her with his skills.'

And then the two forces met, Caster's attacks peetering out.

An indistinguishable arc shot out, met by a white blade that shattered on contact. A black sword answered, only to be similarly shattered by the black snake. An instant later, both blades reformed in that waiting hands of the red and black knight.

A flurry of blows, faster than before. The dance had become less graceful, more forceful. Defense was overwhelmed, kept off balance. A fist hardened to the point of magical steel slammed into a sword made from pure prana, cratering it in a single blow but rebounding nonetheless. A second sword shot out to take the hand off at the wrist, but like a snake the arm twisted, catching the back of the blade and shattering it even as it aimed for the wrist that connected hand and arm.

Hazy magical energy filled the area between the two warriors, scattered steel dissolving and filling the air. The unpredictable hand swept through, swirling the air and pushing the red knight back. The two moved slowly down the street, Kuzuki steadily forcing his opponent back but the other fighter stubbornly refusing to be backed into a corner.

And then, like a spear, Kuzuki's right hand shot out, straight for the swordsman's heart. In that unreal moment, that instant of victory, Shirou felt clarity. Suddenly, like the tracery of positive streamers that reach for the heavens, Shirou's perspective **shifted** at the speed of light.

**And Shirou's gaze was sharp and experienced. He was taller, faster, stronger, and broken_._**

**He could clearly see his death approaching, an unyielding fist lancing forward to take his heart, ready to shatter his already weakened black armor.**

**Magic gathered in his hands, the prana resolving itself into a white falchion of peerless form, and the streak of dark lightning met white steel with an ear shattering clang. The paths of battle stretched before his cold grey eyes, only for a single line to illuminate, the path to survival.**

**The white sword tilted, shattering under the impact but shifting the impossibly fast fist slightly.**

**Just enough that only most of his heart would be taken.**

His mind reeled, his mouth gasping for air. In the corner of his vision, Shirou was aware of the splash of blood, even as Kuzuki brought his left hand around to tear out his target's throat.

An indistinct shout reached his ears, a muffled command. "Archer, disappear!"

Stumbling, Shirou looked up to see Kuzuki standing there, hand outstretched to clutch the air.

Organizing the last few moments in his mind, Shirou tried to separate the muddled insights and viewpoints as best as possible, but was distracted by a sudden gathering of magical power from nearby. He jerked around, still attempting to bring himself under control against the disturbing feeling of his body being **wrong,** and faced Caster, who had a small ball of magic in the air again.

He whipped around for the target, refocused, only to see a faint red form that had been obscured by the light show and dazzling fight. Even as Caster prepared to strike the person down, Shirou shouted out, "Caster, STOP!"

His Servant actually snarled at him when her continued attempts to attack were stymied by the activation of a command spell, "Master, what the hell are you doing?"

Shirou glared at her and said, "You don't get to kill a person just for being here, even if they are a Master."

With that said, he began to jog over to the indistinct onlooker, Kuzuki following and Caster stalking along behind him.

The red form resolved itself into a recognizable face that actually had Shirou stopping short, "T-Tohsaka-san?! What are you doing here?"

The smaller girl glared at him, "Well, Emiya-san, I was patrolling the land that I have been charged to protect as Second Owner, and leading my Servant around town so that he could get a feel for the land. When, imagine my surprise, a veritable wall of light shot from a house not ten meters away and nearly killed me."

Shirou fell back a step at the anger in the girl's gaze. Where the hell had the school idol gone?

_She did just get attacked didn't she. I guess anyone would be irritable after that.  
_

He chuckled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck, "Uh...sorry about that? I didn't know you were a Master Tohsaka-san."

Rin stopped for a second and her glare disappeared, replaced by a tight-lipped smile and a ramrod straight back, "Oh really? That's certainly interesting, since I had no idea that you were a Master either."

Somehow, the smile made Shirou more nervous than the glare.

The inexplicable smile marched closer, increasing Shirou's apprehension with every step, "In fact, I had no idea that you were even a magus. Me, the Second Owner of Fuyuki City and the person responsible for monitoring all supernatural activity, unaware that an unregistered magus was going to the same school. It makes me wonder just why you were hiding."

Shirou took another step back, holding his hands out in front of himself in a warding gesture, "N-now wait just a second Tohsaka-san. Isn't it natural for a magus to keep their magecraft secret? And just what is a Second Owner?"

Rin froze, and a few seconds later she brought a hand up to her face, "You're a third-rate aren't you."

Shirou cocked his head to the side, trying to divine her meaning. Upon realizing her statment, he sighed in relief and despondency, "Yeah. I didn't even know I had magic circuits until Caster told me. And it seems they're underused and really low quality too."

Rin stood up straight, "That's no excuse. Come, lets get some tea and talk about this in your house."

_What?_

Shirou's mind reeled, trying to keep up as Rin swept by and dragged him along with her presence. Caster followed along behind, muttering under her breath, and Kuzuki walked calmly and silently beside the fuming woman.

Shirou felt even more off balance thanks to Rin's proximity, unable to focus on anything but her being so close to him. The random statements and knowledge that he wasn't the only magus at school swirled about but remained unresolved.

In Rin's case, she stuck nearby the only person who had so far refrained from attacking either her or her Servant.

Beyond that, her mind whirled furiously as she tried to survive the hopeless situation she had just found herself in. Doubtless, they would demand her Servant's death, even if Emiya was remarkably merciful. She had managed to bluff her way through, seeing as the boy offered no resistance, but she held little hope that Caster was the same.

If she was lucky, she could survive. If she had the divine blessing of a god somewhere out there, she could get away with her Servant intact, but her only hope was to talk it out. Shirou seemed willing to negotiate, and easy to run over, but he could be simply acting. Not to mention that she very much doubted Caster would let her get away scot free. So for now, she would deal with Emiya and hope he had enough control over Caster to hold her off.

As for Kuzuki...well, it was better if she didn't think about going to school with an apparently efficient and merciless killer every day.

Rin was started from her thoughts when Emiya opened the screen to a small, traditional Japanese dining room.

"Uh...go ahead and take a seat at the table. I'll go and get the tea started," he said.

Nodding, Rin sat down gracefully, her composure at least mostly returned. It almost fled her when both Caster and Kuzuki sat across from her, both of their faces closed and unreadable. Then again, that was to be expected for Kuzuki: the stern and serious air he usually projected had somehow morphed to terrifying. Rin figured that it had to do with the cold-blooded murder attempt.

Her own Servant was at her house, returned to the circle which summoned him and the mana-rich environment Rin had created there. Even if he would be useless, she would feel considerably better if he was at least at her back. And to be honest, she was beginning to regret complaining about summoning Archer. He certainly displayed the skills of a Saber class Servant.

A small clack again broke her from her thoughts, and Rin almost cursed herself for getting so easily sidetracked in the presence of enemies.

Shirou smiled nervously, gesturing to the tea, "There's enough for everyone. So...what is it that you wanted to talk about Tohsaka-san?"

He was answered by a sweet smile, which Rin held for a few seconds before answering, "I was actually looking for an explanation to your presence in the city. You are perfectly correct that magi keep their craft secret, but having a magus hiding in a city without contacting the Second Owner is indicative of...other activities."

Shirou was reaching for his cup when she finished, and nearly upended it when his eyes widened and he stared aghast at Rin, "You can't mean...!? No! I'm not a Sealing Designate or anything crazy like that!"

Rin nodded, still smiling, "And I did not say you are, merely that your actions are reminiscent of that. So I ask again: why are you hiding in my city?"

"I'm _living_ here because this is the house that my dad left me when he died. As for him, I have no idea why he chose to stay in the city," Shirou said.

Rin took a sip of her tea but paused, looking down at it with knit eyebrows, "Did you use teabags for this?"

"Um...yes?" Shirou couldn't keep the confused expression off of his face, the topic changes a little to random to keep up with.

Rin huffed, "At least buy the triangle bags next time. Anyways, back to business. So your father moved here with you for an unknown reason and decided to keep his presence secret to any magi? I assume that he was a magus as well?"

Shirou shook his head slightly, "No, he didn't move here with me. I was an orphan of the Fuyuki Fire with no memories from before it and he saved me. He ended up adopting me and we moved into this house afterwards. He took care of me and taught me some magecraft after I begged it out of him, but he died only 5 years after taking me in. I never did figure out just what was wrong, but he looked to have caught a terminal illness of some kind prior to adopting me."

Adopting a thoughtful pose, Rin considered his information for a bit, "It sounds like he was either running from something or had simply given up and decided to raise you in peace."

A not uncomfortable silence filled the room for almost a full minute. Rin sat considering her options, hoping against hope that she could twist this situation to her advantage. So far, the only angle that she could find to play off of was that her guardian was the Church representative in town, and that technically she was in charge in the area, making her word more official than Shirou's. But threats didn't work very well against Heroic Spirits or super-assassins, so that route seemed unworkable. Luckily, Shirou made her a new route altogether.

"Look," he started. He stopped to stare down at his tea, Rin cautiously hopeful that he might reveal something useful. "I really don't have any need or want for the Holy Grail. My wish is not the type that can be accomplished so easily" he elaborated.

Rin suppressed a start in surprise that there was a Master with no real wish. Nearby, Caster also twitched before turning to her Master.

Rin asked the question for them both, "Why are you a Master then?"

Shirou faced Rin, but his attention was split between her and Caster, "I am only participating in this war to aid Caster. The fact that this is a war to the death disgusts me, and my only real option is to help those available to me. So for now, my only goal is providing a home and a Master to Caster, seeing as I have fairly low od capacity."

He paused and breathed deeply, then fixed his gaze on Rin, who froze at the unexpected steel there. "To that end, any threat to Caster is a threat I intend to take seriously. But that doesn't mean that I want to go around killing people; instead, I was wondering if you would enter into an alliance with me and Caster. For now at least, your Servant is incapacitated and you are unable to fight. When your Servant does recover...well, we can decide that later."

While Rin reeled at quite possibly the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard, Caster voiced her displeasure. "What in Hades' name are you trying to do Shirou! She's an enemy, and I _will_ have to fight her Servant at some point, regardless of whether or not I kill her. This is the perfect opportunity to finish the Servant!"

Shirou calmly took her anger, "I know it is, but as I said I have no wish for the Grail. Right now, I am trying to save as many people as I can. Ideally, I would save everyone, and this is the perfect opportunity to do so. Why do you even want the Grail, Caster? Surely, as a legendary mage you could outdo something created so recently?"

Caster's eyes narrowed, "That's not the point! Shirou, whether you or I want the Grail is irrelevant. The fact remains that the other Master and Servant pairs want the Grail, and they are prepared to kill for it. I already discussed this with you!"

Rin broke into the conversation at this point, "You don't **want** the Grail?! Why the hell not?"

Both Caster and Shirou ignored her, to Rin's increasing frustration. Shirou answered Caster with the same even tone that he had been using since he started his little monologue, "I understand that, but they are also human beings and deserve a chance. If I can form non-aggression pacts with them, then there is no reason for us to fight."

Caster actually stood, shaking with fury, "No. You don't understand, fool. You are a naive boy who wants to play hero despite never understanding just what this world is like. At least the heroes of my age, despicable as they were, understood that life is not that simple."

Shirou's golden eyes remained cool, "I know very well how this world works, Caster. My earliest memories are flames and death. I have no start beyond that. My very origin is an end. But that doesn't change the fact that I **cannot** leave anyone in trouble alone, and right now Tohsaka-san is very much in trouble."

Rin's frustration finally reached it's peak, "Don't talk about me like I'm not here! And why the hell do you not have a wish for the Grail? Just what is it that you want!"

The other two finally turned to her, and Shirou answered, though he wasn't quite so calm, "Well...my wish can only be achieved by myself, really. It's not of concern to you guys."

"Shirou, if it is truly your intention to form an temporary alliance with this girl, then I must insist upon a contract." Caster returned to sitting with a straight back and impassive face.

Rin broke into the conversation, scowling fiercely at Caster, "Dammit! Don't make decisions for me!" She turned to smile with palpable menace at Shirou, "Emiya-san, I accept your offer of an alliance. I do so hope that you can control your Servant."

Shirou let out a breath he had been holding, "That's good, Tohsaka-san. My only worry is what you wish to gain from the Grail. I have no problem giving the Grail to you after the war, just so long as you do not harm Caster."

The red-haired boy ended up falling backwards under the force of twin glares of hellfire. Both Rin and Caster started talking at once, "Shirou, I will not accept this-"

"Emiya, there is no way that I will believe-"

The two cut off and glared at each other for a few seconds, before both nodded. Rin spoke up, "A mutual geis contract. No aggressive actions until both parties agree to it. I want the Servant's bound as well."

Caster stood up, "I will go to the Workshop and get the materials for our half together, I suggest that you prepare your own. We will both examine the full contract before we agree."

Shirou looked back and forth between the two, "I assume that this means you two won't kill each other."

Caster scoffed, "As if she were any threat to me."

"We may just find out before this war is over," Rin growled.

* * *

A/N: Took forever to get that last conversation done, and honestly I'm unsatisfied with it. But it gets the plot moving along so I'll stick with it.

Bet no one expected Shirou to pair with Caster! Anyways, I think that makes the most sense. I was tempted by a few mentions of Kiritsugu as Assassin, but I decided that I needed an Assassin capable of canvassing the city and beyond. He's not going to be quite as weak as the Assassin from Fate/Zero, mainly because of the nature of his Delusional Illusion knock-off skill.

I wasn't ever aware of the memory seals until I looked at the wiki, but I find them quite useful in this case.

In Type-Moon, it is the soul that stores memories, while the brain merely acts as the anchor. So for Altair's memory seals to engrave his memory sequences onto his DNA, they would have to attach either part of his soul or anchor his soul to the DNA. Of course, he would have thousands of descendants over time, so his soul would either exist in multiple places or it would be 'tied' to his ancestor's DNA.

In this way, Altair, and later Ezio, created a sort of "Throne of Assassins" for their order. Assassins with sufficient fame within their Order, or who used the memory seals, would have their soul stored somewhere outside of space, called upon to give memories and skills to their descendants. One of the Assassin's managed to access this completely, but fractured his psyche to compartmentalize the dozens of ancestors that he assimilated.

So when this Assassin gets summoned, his ancestor's souls come right along with him, attached to the portion of the Assassin's psyche that emulated them. End result? A handful of full powered Assassins, along with a large number of weaker ones, though still not even close to challenging a proper Heroic Spirit.

Only Ezio and Altair, maybe Connor (I haven't played much), would stand anything like a chance against a Heroic Spirit, and then only through the use of a Noble Phantasm.

As for Caster...well I read Fate/Black Reflection, and I liked some of the ideas. Caster won't go nuts with the whole Hollow soldier concept, but she will find a use for them. Credit where credit is due, I didn't even once consider having Caster study Hollows or even bringing them majorly into the war until I read Nameless Flame Wielder's story.

And yes Ichigo will get his powers back, though probably not at Butterfly-Aizen smashing levels. Not within the scope of this story anyways.


	3. He Who Increaseth Knowledge

Disclaimer: I do not own the Assassin's Creed series, Fate/Stay Night, or Bleach

* * *

Ichigo slept peacefully on the couch, having finally convinced Saber that between Ishida, Orihime, and Saber herself, they had enough lookouts that even Assassin would have considerable trouble slipping in. Or Assassins.

Ichigo made no comment on the fact that he didn't count in the lineup.

The room itself was quiet, the only noise being the turning of the page to one of Ishida's textbooks. The Quincy had taken up post in the kitchen, on duty for the next few hours. Small kitchen lights, mounted under the cabinets, let him read without waking any of the other inhabitants up. The muted white glow cast long shadows that stretched over the living room and Ichigo, a sliver of light catching the teen's orange hair and causing it to flash like a flame whenever he shifted.

As tranquil and calm as Ichigo's face was, his dreams were filled with death and destruction. Usually. Today, however, he dreamed of bloody yet glorious victory, and a King standing tall amidst the scattered swords and vanquished armies.

**The usual guilt and regret, so ever present in his mind since the Winter War, could not be felt near this timeless figure. As filled with the dead and dying as the blood soaked landscape was, Ichigo saw nothing but the clear green gaze, focused on something far beyond the horizon and the fetid battlefield the victorious men stood upon.**

**Even as warriors great and small trudged heavily through the corpses, retrieving comrades and salvaging weapons, each would periodically look up at the proud King, attracted to the eyes that seemed to see something that they never could. But even if they themselves would never gaze upon the glorious future that their King could see, they would gladly follow him to the end.**

**For who better to lead them? This King waded through the sea of sundered spears and armor right alongside them, this King lead them fearlessly against any foe. Where each of the knights and warrior might falter, they had but to look upon their glorious leader, sword shining brightly at the head of their army, and their spirits would lift.**

**The dying soldiers, knowing that their time was near, would wish but to catch a glimpse of the blessed face that they followed into battle. In those eyes, each dying man would see the promise of their King. **

**A forest of dark pines and verdant oaks, stretching endlessly around rolling hills of pale wheat and soft grasses. Fluffy clouds in a painted blue sky. A promised land that they fought for, a vision upon death that each clung to as they lay down to their final rest.**

**The ultimate destination that every soldier in war stretched his aching fingers for, just out of reach for them, but maybe-just maybe-it could be reached by that King. And if those they left at home could follow that King for just a bit longer, then they too might gain peace in life.**

**And Ichigo saw the King, standing as if divine amongst the humans who followed her onto the battlefield, and he was reminded of Aizen.**

The heat of the morning sun finally brought Ichigo out of his dreams. They were clearer these past few days than they had ever been. Ichigo was honestly thankful that the dreams were usually hazy, because it tended to be an amalgamation of his greatest two mistakes. The first mistake Ichigo hadn't realized until long after it had happened, so his mind came up with many nightmare images that he did his level best to shunt to the side. The second was all to clear, having occurred right before his eyes.

Ishida spoke up from the kitchen, "You know, I always thought Yuzu was a light sleeper for some reason."

Ichigo groaned, "Nope. I had the same notion until her alarm woke me up when we first moved in. That was a miserable morning."

A small noise of amusement, "I can imagine. Whatever possessed you to move only a few days before the school year started must have been a particularly malicious spirit."

_More of a desire for change really. And insanity. Maybe my Hollow managed to hold on after the Final Getsuga and that was his last effort to fuck me over. Though that certainly turned out to be the right decision. At least until this past week._

Ichigo ignored his inner monologue and scowled at his friend. Stretching, he figured that he'd let the others sleep-in properly today. Between Saber and Orihime, Yuzu had finally been persuaded to leave her alarm off, so Ichigo could make breakfast for his little sister for once, instead of the other way around. He had learned fairly well from her if he did say so himself. Though he was mostly limited to pre-mixed and easy to prepare dishes.

Stepping past Ishida, he opened the pantry, "Oi, Ishida. Move your ass to the couch, I need room to cook."

Ishida gaped at him, "Since when can you cook?"

"Since my sister started waking me up in the morning and I had nothing better to do. Now get moving." Ichigo jabbed an elbow in the Quincy's side, other arm holding a box of pancake mix.

After a few seconds of indignant grumbling, Ishida sat down on the couch. But he didn't get back to reading until he snapped a picture of Ichigo cracking eggs with his cellphone. "Blackmail gold," he whispered.

"What was that four-eyes?"

"Nothing carrot top."

Both paused in their respective activities to glare at each other before Ishida snorted. Ichigo cracked a grin, "Been a while since I had someone who would talk back. Damn near everyone at school is scared of me."

Ishida frowned slightly, "Do you still get in those ridiculous fights over your hair color?"

Ichigo shook his head, going back to mixing the pancake batter, "Nah. Turns out that weird hair color isn't all that unusual in town. Might have something to do with this magecraft stuff. Kid in the year below mine's got red hair, and there's some freshman with purple hair. Purple! Yoruichi is the only one I've ever seen who looked like that. Not to mention that my school doesn't have many delinquents."

Ishida's frown only deepened, and he peered over his glasses at his friend, "From the way Karin and Yuzu complain, you get in random fights all the time."

An annoyed scowl, "Hey, that's just damn idiots around town tryin to start something. You know how my scowl sets 'em off. That and apparently my reputation traveled down here a few weeks after we moved."

"And you swear a lot more than you used to." Ishida pushed his glasses up onto his nose, "You've been hanging out with the wrong crowd haven't you. This is exactly why you shouldn't have moved. Useless delinquents like yourself can't keep out of trouble."

Brown eyes flared slightly, "I don't need you poking around in my business, Ishida. I don't bother you about your knitting, so leave it alone."

Sighing, Ishida nodded, "Fine. Tatsuki and Keigo just worry about you. I really wish you would call more, it might shut the whiny idiot up. Tatsuki's punches haven't been enough lately"

Ichigo began to pour batter into the pan he'd heated up. The pancakes were the easiest "fresh" food Ichigo could make, and his sister's seemed to love the American breakfast. The sound of sizzling filled the double room, punctuating the heavy blanket of quiet that overcame the two.

Ichigo finally spoke, "Everything is going fine here. Yuzu and Karin have been way happier since we moved; I think the fresh start did them good. As for me...well, it's nice to live normally. I don't, or I didn't, have to worry about anything strange intruding on our lives, and I feel much safer knowing that Karin is out of the way of Urahara and all the hollows that show up in Karakura. Plus, according to Karin, the Shinigami representatives in town are a friendly bunch."

Ishida "hmmm'd." He turned a page in his textbook, half a mind on reading while the rest wandered. "Yes, I did run into them when I entered the city. They were surprisingly cordial, for Shinigami at least. I hope your sister doesn't have any wild ideas about traveling to Soul Society and becoming a substitute."

There was an audible growl from the kitchen, "As if I'd let her. A lot of them are great, but there's no way in hell that Karin is going to become a Shinigami."

Silence descended again. Ichigo progressively filled a platter with two dozen pancakes. The smell of food ended up waking the rest of the occupants, for sleepy mumbling and shuffling began to drift from the bedroom. After a minute or two, Yuzu came blasting through the door, pointing at Ichigo as he began to set the plates on the kitchen counter, the seats crammed together even without anyone sitting on them, "What are you doing Ichi-nii! I have to continue teaching Saber-chan to cook in repayment for the fighting lessons!"

Ichigo scowled, "I'm still annoyed that you and Karin are learning to fight. We should be figuring out a safe way out of town, not teaching you two to join in on the war."

Karin spoke up as she followed her energetic sister into the living room, "It's not our fault that there seems to be a small army of hidden super assassins bent on keeping us trapped in the city. If we could get out of town without facing explosions and supersonic knives I'm sure we'd be thrilled to escape." Her voice remained even throughout, though Ichigo didn't buy a second of it.

"No need for the back talk, Karin."

Saber walked into the room, following Orihime, "What are those?"

Ichigo finished placing the utensils and food down, "Pancakes. Yuzu and Karin love 'em for Sunday morning breakfast. I figured that we could have a nice morning meal to make up for being trapped in the house for the past couple of days."

Saber nodded decisively, "That seems like excellent reasoning."

Everyone sat down to eat, though Ishida chose to grab a plate of pancakes and a cup of orange juice and sit back down on the couch, using the small coffee table to set his food down. Ichigo sat back and watched the chatter, even Ishida piping up from the couch and getting drawn into a discussion about secret assassin cults and modern day ninjas.

Ichigo paused for a second. Yep, Orihime and Yuzu started that particular topic.

He went back to examining the little group. In particular, his eyes rested on Saber. He began to get that deep longing for his power, no matter how little, to be given back to him. With barely a thought, he squashed the feeling.

_I want to cross blades equally with her. I want to know if that similarity I felt meant anything. Those dreams aren't enough for me to understand._

His thoughts betrayed him, his efforts to redirect his attention in vain.

Saber glanced over at Ichigo, a slight crease in her brow the only indication to her curiosity. Ichigo turned his head away, scowling at the window. He didn't really understand why, but Saber reminded of several of his old friends and enemies. Some of those memories were not quite pleasant.

* * *

Bazzet Fraga McRemitz was annoyed. Highly annoyed. Her friend Kirei Kotomine had invited her to participate in the Fifth Holy Grail war as the representative of the Mage Association, but the whole thing had gotten off to a terrible start.

Now, she couldn't even visit him when he asked, because there was something that concerned her far more.

Someone had hijacked her summoning ritual! And, apparently, they'd done it while being followed by some invisible monster!

Lancer had been happy with the immediate challenge, remarking later that there could be no more auspicious a start to a war than a three-way duel, though the monster's main advantage had been its hazy outline. Bazzet hadn't been able to see even the outline of the monster, only the effects. She decided to take her childhood hero's word for it.

But the Enforcer couldn't take an insult like that sitting down.

_No kid is going to piggyback off of my hard work! No way in hell!_

So here she was, doing her best to locate some orange haired punk in the back alleys of Fuyuki City. Even though it was the middle of the school day, there were plenty of students skipping the less reputable high school of Fuyuki. She could have used hypnosis, but there was something therapeutic about knocking tough-guy teens around.

The part that really got her goat, though, was the fact that at least a quarter of the foolish children she ran across had orange hair! It wasn't until she'd interrogated the fourth one that she finally got her answer.

Some orange-haired martial artist had moved into town a year and a half back, and started whaling on anyone who decided they were tough enough to challenge him over his dyed hair. Then, the kid had joined the underground free-style fighting in town, and begun beating trained boxers and knife-fighters. He was idolized by half the kids in the city for being slightly better in a fight than your average street trash!

Bazzet grumbled under her breath, "Little knacker probably thought he was a badass, stealing my ritual like that."

It had taken a few more busted heads, but Bazzet had finally gotten a name for the original orange-haired fighter. There was no guarantee that he was the one who interrupted her summoning, but odds were that the only one with the ego to challenge an invisible monster and the sheer _balls _to interrupt _her_ ritual was this Kurosaki Ichigo. She still wasn't sure how he just waltzed through the Bounded Fields she set up around the warehouse she had her base in.

He had managed to survive in the chaos that was the quickly decimated warehouse, but that didn't mean anything. He just got lucky when Bazzet had been blindsided by the monster. There's no way that he'd still be alive if it weren't for that.

So here she was, searching through the city's records for the residence of one Kurosaki Ichigo. All she had to do was take Lancer nearby and she could confirm the presence of a Servant.

_Ah, there he is. Small apartment near the river, right across from Shinto. Lives with two little sisters, no parents. Irresponsible little bugger isn't he, ignoring his sisters and going out to fight instead._

It made Bazzet feel both a little better about beating the crap out of the kid, and a little guilty about taking the last living family of two girls, no matter how worthless he was. She might consider sticking around to make sure they were taken care of after the war, or even sparing the idiot's life. If she survived. Then again, with Lancer by her side she felt invincible.

The purple haired magi's grin was feral, her Servant matching the grin with one of his own. "Get ready Lancer, we might just get revenge tonight."

Cu Chulainn followed his Master as she got prepped for the night's hunt, "I don't know about revenge, but that blonde girl put up a damn good fight. I might even have to use my Noble Phantasm to finish her."

Bazzet stopped to eye him, then turned back to checking over her runic gloves, "Fine. If you feel that it's necessary, do it. No mass destruction though, we're trying to keep the war a secret."

"Fine, fine. So long as I get my good fights I'm happy." The blue haired man phased out of existence, saving prana for the fights to come.

* * *

Caster found it impossible to focus on her work, constantly distracted by her swirling thoughts.

Damn that fool boy! Why would he help an enemy Master! Even if she had turned out surprisingly helpful!

Caster had been especially surprised to learn of the Church mediator and the fact that Masters were supposed to present themselves to officially enter the war. Her interest had been primarily focused on the man's church, however. The place had positively reeked of suffering and magecraft when they visited, and Caster was determined to look into the place once her current line of research had been finished.

It had also been nice to have her Master finally display some fire, even if she didn't strictly need him anymore. The small leyline that traveled under the estate allowed Caster to power the Temple that she had excavated under the "workshop" that her Master maintained in the shed. A few time/space altering Bounded Fields had afforded her all the room she would need for her work.

The boy's sudden turn around from his primary mission, aiding her, to protecting as many innocents as possible was rather annoying, but Caster could deal with a hero complex. She had plenty of experience with the selfish bastards. Her Master's status as an orphan of a fire resulting from the last war had been interesting to learn, but for the most part useless.

Still, the boy was interesting, and she didn't really want to have to find a new base or reduce him to a mindless slave so soon.

Ah, she was getting distracted again.

Frowning at herself, Caster went back to examining the creature that she found wandering town. Her Master and that meat shield had been returning from school when Caster had noticed something sniffing around near the two. At first, her scrying had only shown a slight outline of a large creature, but with some tweaking and a few minutes of careful observation, Caster had finally gotten a definite shape.

Curious, Caster had flown out and captured the monster with her magecraft, minimal effort necessary to immobilize the beast once she had located it. To her immense surprise, the creature had gradually become more visible to her over the following night of close inspection, until it resolved into a large, monkey-like creature with a white mask and yellow eyes.

Of course, that paled in comparison to the immediate revelation that this was some sort of materialized soul. It had taken her several hours to devise a tool capable of affecting the creature, and that had only been possible by applying Alteration to her own hand to make it work as a surgical knife.

A materialized soul capable of freely interacting or phasing through the world at will, and apparently not rejected by Gaia, despite clearly being dead. More than that, Caster had managed to determine that this creature was in fact the soul of a dead human who went through some sort of transformation, becoming something more than a wraith.

After working through the night on the creature, Caster had begun setting up her network of familiars in the city again only to suddenly realize that the city was different. Or rather, the city was the same, Caster could just see new things.

There were souls, dead humans, walking freely about the city. To say that Caster had been startled would be a gross understatement.

Something about the land, about Japan, allowed the souls to linger after death without dispersing back into Akasha. At least for a while. Caster had yet to actually see a soul break apart and disperse back to Akasha, but they often disappeared after a few hours of lingering around the area, with a small number of exceptions spread throughout the city and suburbs.

The most likely explanation was the existence of some form of afterlife in Japan, which suggested the presence of Divine Spirits still active in the world. As far as Caster knew, the Age of the Gods had ended more than two millennia ago: not so here in Japan, it seemed. Of course, the fact that the Western magi had overlooked such a profound thing didn't surprise her in the slightest. The very nature of the Grail War showed contempt for the East, as the reason for its location was due to the Einzbern considering Japan out of the way of any _real_ magical disturbances.

Eager to take advantage of her discovery, Caster captured several human and even more of the monstrous creature souls. Unsurprisingly, the former humans subsisted on the un-transformed souls that were scattered throughout the land.

Within a day, though, Caster had been barely able to contain her excitement. The human souls _were_ rejected by Gaia, but Japan itself seemed to support their existence for a short time through the use of a chain that tied them down, supplying mana. What was _truly_ exciting, though, was what happened when that chain finally eroded enough for the soul to lose it's attachment to the world.

When the chain eroded down to nothing, the soul began to fall apart fully, rejected by the world. But with the mana of the world still flowing into the gaping hole left by the chain, the soul swelled with power and dispersed explosively. The construct snapped apart under the pressure from inside and out.

After several seconds to several minutes of non-existence, the soul pieces gathered enough power to rebuild into a new, permanent form. It was similar to ascending to a higher plane. The soul's new structure was able to withstand the rejection of the world by drawing in mana and creating its own energy. The power generated by souls was generally useless to magi, a force that could only be made use of when it was converted by the magic circuits into od instead of being directly manipulated.

But these Hollows, as Caster learned they were named from several more intelligent members of the species, bypassed the problem through the hole left behind in their structure. The hole formed a conversion channel that turned the spiritual power into a new energy, one that allowed them to affect the physical world despite being on the spiritual plane. In essence, the human soul fell apart, reconstituted missing a crucial piece of its existence, and got the ability to form a new type of energy directly from the soul in return.

And just like magi, the Hollows twisted the laws of the world around them using this energy, though this energy was necessary both for the Hollow's existence as well as for interacting with the physical.

It also seemed that only beings aware of this form of energy, beings like Servants, were capable of perceiving the Hollows.

There was one other crucial part of the formation of the Hollows. When the soul reconstituted, the small hole that allowed for creation of spiritual energy left the creature feeling 'empty.' This feeling of being hollow, probably the source of the name for the monsters, drove them to feed. The missing portion of the soul rebuilt itself as a mask, overriding the human memories left behind in the soul's structure with the instincts and cunning that characterized the new form.

The feeding process, however, was the part that made Caster happy beyond belief.

When Servants fed on a soul, they simply crushed the structure and turned it into pure prana, giving them a large and immediate boost in power. These Hollows had a far more permanent and ingenious ability. Instead of converting the soul into power, they _incorporated_ _it_ into their own soul, slipping it through the hole left behind and turning it into an endless power source. Sure, the energy amount produced was small. As far as Caster could determine it was equivalent to 1 to 8 units of spiritual prana per day, depending on the soul devoured.

But the implications!

If Caster could perfect the method and utilize it herself, a Master would be unnecessary for her continued existence! She wouldn't have to rely on the Grail or a doll to get a second chance at life! It was even possible that she could return to her former glory, producing her own prana for use instead of relying on her Master's sub-par circuits and od capacity.

She had to be careful, obviously. If she screwed up, all kinds of terrible things could happen from the destruction of her soul to her transformation into a Hollow bereft of reason and knowledge. Even if neither worst case scenario happened, it was entirely possible that she would become the spiritual version of a Dead Apostle, with an insatiable need to devour other souls.

As willing as Caster was to resort to downright despicable methods, an eternity of devouring innocents didn't really appeal to her.

Besides, her Master would certainly disapprove, the naive boy. It was...nice...to have a warm place to stay. She had a chance for a new life and a new start, and didn't that imply that she would leave behind her old life as Medea, the Witch of Betrayal infamous for acts of the greatest evil? Yes, so for now she would hide her research, and as soon as possible she would attempt to live a normal life free from the interference of heroes and gods.

Caster began to hum, already mapping out the necessary grunt work and experiments that would determine the viability of her plan. It would take a week to finish her research, but in the meantime she could shore up the defenses of the house. That, and she might consider a stopgap measure of improving her Master's magic circuits. The method would be fairly basic, especially with her new insight into the nature of the soul.

Creating artificial circuits was child's play for her, but they were ultimately less efficient and more damaging than the natural circuits available to magi at birth. With a little bit of effort, Caster could work directly on the magic circuits of the boy, letting her widen and strengthen them. She might even be able to affect his prana capacity. A stronger battery could only hasten her research, not to mention further it as an experiment.

That, combined with a little bit of work on her Argon Coin, would make Caster's plans a cinch to accomplish.

Her mind multi-tasked, considering her plans, humming a lullaby she remembered from her childhood, and cataloging her discoveries.

The Altered hand continued its practiced movements, cutting away at the surprisingly human anatomy of one of the Hollows she had captured.

* * *

Ichigo sat in the bedroom with Saber and Ishida, considering their plans. He knew that any action without thought could lead to disaster, and he refused to repeat mistakes he had already made. The cost was simply too high.

Ishida sat staring at the map of Fuyuki and the notebook they had been considering, "We could always draw the snipers out. It's fairly obvious that they are Assassin, however he is replicating himself, yet the projectiles used are not consistent with Saber's knowledge."

Saber tapped the notebook where the words, **"Projectiles: Wide variety of knives and bullets"**

"Yes, as far as I know the last war's Assassin made use of throwing knives with the speed of bullets, but not actual bullets. Unless someone has managed to make modern weaponry deadly against Heroic Spirits, I can only see the existence of a multi-part, relatively modern Heroic Spirit being the foe."

Ichigo spoke up, "The Assassins are after me, correct?"

Saber immediately spoke up, "No, Ichigo."

Ishida fixed Ichigo with measuring eyes instead, "...Yes. That would certainly work. If you and Saber went out, and I pulled overwatch, we could draw out the Assassins and I could pinpoint them from their attacks. It would be fairly simple. After that, all I have to do is pin them and Saber could clean up while I cover you."

Saber's eyes turned cold as she faced Ishida, "No. I will not have my Master vulnerable in the middle of a warzone. There are to many skilled opponents for you to both pin them and watch for one sneaking up on Ichigo."

Ishida shook his head, "They won't expect me to be capable of fighting them. As far as they know, I am merely a visiting friend. You Servants haven't displayed the ability to sense reiatsu, so my abilities will come out of left field from their viewpoint. No offense, Saber, but you have no idea what I am capable of. I'm not even close to matching you in close combat, but my archery and power level more than makes up for it. To be honest, I could overpower you through sheer output. You might be able to avoid my attacks, but I am fast enough to avoid you by making use of the terrain and delaying you with a rain of arrows."

Saber just narrowed her eyes, "No, **you** underestimate **me**. Servants are far faster than you, even if that speed technique would help. In a long race I would run you down, despite the advantages that your skill gives you over short distances."

Ishida's glasses flashed, "We would need proof of that. But this is going nowhere. This is the only plan we have, besides sitting here and waiting for someone else to strike first. Taking the initiative is imperative in battle. I thought a King would understand that?"

Saber turned her icy eyes on Ichigo, her mouth set in a disapproving line, "I am still quite annoyed that you revealed my identity to him, Ichigo."

Ichigo shrugged, "He's my friend. Had him at my side through the worst battles I've ever faced, and he's smarter than me. If anyone could make a good plan, it's him."

Saber sighed after considering the two determined teens sitting nearby, "Very well. As soon as dark falls, we will get Orihime and the girls to stay inside the bedroom at the ready. Then you will leave and set up somewhere within range, preferably staying inconspicuous as far as the Assassins are concerned. If they attack you first, Ichigo and myself will join. If not, you will provide cover when we leave." She glanced pointedly at Ishida, "Do not fail in this task. When the Assassins strike, I want you to join in immediately."

Ishida nodded, pointing at the map, "I will set up in the observation deck of this building across the river. I have a cellphone that I will use to call you. We move out just before sunset, so that it can look like I am merely enjoying the view as a tourist from out of town. I expect them to strike either here, at this plaza before the bridge, or here, just inside Shinto where they have the best possible escape routes and angles."

Saber looked at the map for a few minutes, silently contemplating the plan, before she looked up, "And we expect them to make a try for Orihime and the girls?"

Ichigo scowled deeply when Ishida replied, "Yes. Orihime can easily hold them off: her shield is near unbreakable at this point."

Everyone sat in thought for another minute, the only sound being Orihime teaching Karin and Yuzu karate that she learned from Tatsuki.

Saber stood up, stern and confident, "Then the plan is settled. We will start in an hour."

The other two faced her, locked onto her defiant stance and aura of nobility. Both nodded decisively as soon as she finished.

The battle of Servants would begin soon. The confrontation between legendary heroes would become the shot heard round the world, the first full-scale battle of the 5th Heaven's Feel.

* * *

Bazzet got into the car she had rented for the duration of the War. Lancer slipped into the blue sports car beside her, his black suit making him look like a bodyguard. Both wore the professional look well, yet the eager smiles on the two faces and the sports car brought to mind street racing for the passersby.

The Master turned to her Servant, "You ready to go for tonight?"

Lancer smiled at the full moon just opposite and barely visible against the lingering light of the setting sun. He turn back to his partner, a glint in his red eyes, "Damn right I am."

* * *

Deep in a forest, far from the city and atop a magnificent castle, a small, white haired girl smiled. "Are you ready to visit Onii-chan, Berserker?"

A massive form materialized on the rampart alongside the surreal girl, the savage face and glowing, mismatched eyes alight with rage. A heavy growl emanated from his throat, shaking the air and rattling the castle walls with barely perceptible force. The rising moon shone down on his iron-grey skin, his muscles rippling with impossible power. Shadows crisscrossed his form, light from both the sun and the moon making his body glow with opposite auras.

The forest below seemed to tremble with fear, the animals going to sleep and just awakening erupting into a cacophony of fearful chattering and cries. The deadly eyes of the strongest Servant stared out over the sea of trees, somehow aiming straight for the city over the mountains.

* * *

Shinji smiled as the book glowed with the reception of the command spell. Finally, he would get to prove to his grandfather that **he,** not that **whore,** deserved to be the heir of the Matou. All of his hidden potential would be realized in this War. He would go out and strengthen his Servant tonight, but he would avoid battle for the time being.

A small comment from his Servant made his smile turn into something...more evil. So much for getting power one soul at a time.

* * *

Rin finished placing her last bag in the room she had dema-received from Shirou. Her Servant had recovered enough to float nearby, taking power from the environment created by Caster. For now, though, the safest place in the city for her was with her ally. The contract had been signed by both parties, and neither was able to attack the other without first getting an agreement from the fellow signatories.

She glanced out of the window as she began to set up the books. The sunset looked particularly peaceful, but she couldn't ignore the information that they had learned from that damn priest the night before. Every Servant had been summoned, and tonight the war would officially commence.

* * *

A/N: And so it begins! Got this chapter done fast, since I already had most of Caster's discoveries worked out.

I know I haven't introduced Assassin's Master yet, or even Assassin really, but that will all play out later.

If anyone has any comments about my interpretation of Hollows and human souls, I kinda want to have some counter theories. It's hard to spot flaws in my own reasoning usually, so I like to bounce ideas off of others. I might come back and re-edit this chapter if necessary.

Then again, I may leave it as is, since it is massively convenient as a plot device.

Oh yeah, one more thing: Does anyone know how to add in the bars that represent Berserker's roars? I can't figure it out, and any help would be appreciated. On that note, how do I check for PM's or however I get answers?

Hope you guys like it, should have some actual action instead of introductory battles now.


	4. Parallels

Ichigo had a scowl set firmly on his face as he stared out the window, waiting for Ishida to call.

He hated plans, he hated wars, and he hated waiting. Most of all, he hated knowing that his friends and his family were in danger.

This whole situation had Ichigo on edge, and the tension increased every day, ratcheted tighter by each night since the ambush at the mall. He and his sisters were sitting on an island of peace in the middle of a murky forest filled with shadowy monsters, and the walls of that little island were only plaster and cement. No matter what he did though, he couldn't get them safely out of town thanks to those monsters, which far surpassed any regular hollows on the danger scale.

Thankfully, the two years that the three siblings had lived in the apartment had given Urahara plenty of time to drop in randomly, and Ichigo knew the man had placed spiritual defenses within the walls to protect them; Karin had confirmed the suspicions.

Any dematerialized Servant trying to sneak in would have considerable trouble facing up to the stuff the mad-scientist came up with on a regular basis. It was likely that if any did manage to penetrate the rooms that Urahara would come running into town, and as unreliable as the eccentric shop owner liked to act, if he showed up then Ichigo would feel safe sending his sisters off with him.

Ichigo knew Hat n'Clogs felt responsible for him and his sisters, and probably a little guilty over what had happened in the war. But to be honest, Ichigo was grateful to Urahara for everything the man did in helping a headstrong 15 year old who was in over his head. Nothing would probably change Ichigo's stance that Urahara was not to blame for any of the problems they faced.

If it hadn't been for Urahara, Aizen would have been unstoppable.

Until an opportunity to get Karin and Yuzu out of the city and to a safe haven arrived, Ichigo would have to trust Orihime and whatever Urahara had cooked up to protect them.

He glanced over at Saber, who was staring intently at the phone that Ishida would call. Ichigo had actually found it pretty funny when Saber had realized just what cellphones meant. He guessed that even for a legendary figure like King Arthur-**His mind flashed back to a bloody battlefield-**or maybe _because_ this was King Arthur, the novelty of freely available instantaneous communication was a big surprise. Ichigo had the feeling that knowing about something was different than encountering it first hand.

As it was, though, Ichigo really couldn't get a handle on Saber. She seemed fiercely overprotective of him, which just beat down on his already battered pride. He could respect her, certainly, as she was a match for skill and strength to many of the Captains. And at least she had accepted that he wished to fight and acknowledged that he had character.

But that didn't change the fact that she was always trying to keep him in sight. To Ichigo, it just felt like she was trying to control him.

The image of that King above the battlefield again intruded on his thoughts, bringing Aizen back to mind. Damn that monster.

Ichigo wasn't sure just what reminded him of Aizen whenever he got a good look at Saber, but something certainly fit.

The phone rang, and he picked it up while Saber hesitated. He flipped it open and held it to his ears, looking back out of the window, "Ichigo here."

It could be Ishida, but he knew it would be a bad idea to say something weird like "Are you in position?" if it was someone else on the other end of the line.

The steady voice was easily recognizable as the Quincy archer, "I've got a great view of the sunset from across the river." Ichigo could hear a light breeze playing against the speaker, "I really don't think I've ever seen anything quite like this view." Slightly confused, but able to puzzle out Ishida's statements, Ichigo did his best to interpret everything. "I can't see Ichigo's apartment but I can see the main road."

_So he can't cover us right outside the door. Shouldn't be to much of a problem._

Ichigo stood, his heart regaining that determined steel that had lain dormant for so long. It felt good to be moving again, even if he wasn't the heavy hitter anymore, "We're heading out now. Good luck."

"You too." Ichigo hung up at the reply and felt silence drift across the line, the ambient noises around Ishida no longer transmitted.

Saber joined him, ready to fight, "Let us go, Ichigo."

She opened the door and checked for any blatant traps or ambushes; even if they didn't expect them, that didn't mean they wouldn't happen.

Ichigo heard a small sound and turned back to see his sisters. His smile was slightly sad at seeing the fear in Yuzu's eyes, but he straightened his back once more. The smile turned into a smirk, "Let's watch a movie when me and Saber get back."

He turned around and headed out the door.

* * *

Ishida held the phone to his ear, pretending to describe the view. It would take some time for the ambush to happen, and it was a simple task to keep track of Saber with just his spiritual awareness. He'd noticed a number of other Servants around town when he came in, but none were the Assassins that were directly threatening Karin and Yuzu.

There was no guarantee, but the chance was high that there was at least one tail on him. Just by entering the house and staying the night, he counted as a threat. The plan hinged on Ichigo and Saber drawing both attention and action, freeing Ishida up to face at most one or two foes at close range while he covered his allies from above.

Since his ability to sense reiryoku and reiatsu wouldn't help discover the stealth-centric Servant, Ishida did his best to try and detect a change in the air or light refraction around him. His eyes were sharp enough to spot the differences, it was only a matter of time. More, when he actually began to cover the two every Assassin nearby, and probably a good number of those attacking Ichigo and Saber, would begin hunting him down. Even for him, trying to keep track of that many targets at once would be near impossible.

Hopefully Saber was good enough to finish the Assassins quickly.

Far below, traffic across the river began to settle, the majority of people already home. A few honks and running engines emanated up to Ishida, a few hundred feet above the roadways of Shinto. Ishida was slightly worried about the presence of innocent bystanders, but he knew that his own arrows were invisible as far as the majority of humans were concerned. The possibility of being spotted might keep the Assassins from any truly devastating, and thus visible, attacks.

Even assassins were known to cause destruction, no matter how much subtlety was valued in the business.

* * *

Ichigo glanced out over the black and blue water. A cold wind blew down the river into the ocean, catching at his long sleeved shirt. The dark sky and frigid air reminded him of Hueco Mundo, and the tension was the same.

The attack could come from anywhere, at any speed, and at both him and Saber. It was a disconcerting feeling, knowing that every shadow could turn into an Assassin.

But he'd walked into enemy territory and faced despair in the face of overwhelming strength before, and he wouldn't falter now.

Just thinking about the past, about the pressures that he had already endured, helped ease his mind slightly. He spoke up to Saber, "Have you ever walked into enemy territory before?"

Saber kept her eyes peeled while diverting a bit of her attention to his question, "Yes and no. While I was alive I was always fighting to defend my homeland against invaders, but I also laid siege to a few castles."

Ichigo watched cars pass by on the bridge, "I've charged headlong into fortresses and deserts filled with enemies for no other reason than that one of my friends had been threatened. It's funny, how I never really had any greater goals than protecting my friends." He snorted in wry amusement, "I would fight people with these great purposes like duty and ascension, yet I only ever focused on the handful of people that I considered important."

Something in Saber's eyes twisted, catching Ichigo's diverted attention. He couldn't name the feeling, but something had clearly gotten to the girl. He decided to push on in the hopes of overriding whatever seemed to be eating at his Servant.

Ichigo grinned, both sad and oddly proud, "I used to have powers, probably greater than yours for a short while. A friend of mine got kidnapped and taken to a palace in the desert, and I wasn't having any of that bullshit."

He held out a hand as he walked, gesturing wide circles at the sky, "Miles and miles of sand and night sky, hours of trekking through emptiness yet fully aware that the sands hid hollows. The silence was aggravating, and the lack of a clear destination made everything worse. When we finally did get to where we needed to go, I realized that I had been stressing over nothing."

His brown eyes faced Saber again, filled with a slightly knowing light, "So stop with the darting eyes. Let your natural responses flow, don't try and force it. As annoying as it is to be stalked by someone you can't see, getting frustrated does nothing."

The two walked in silence for another few minutes, getting off of the bridge and making it to the streets of the city.

Saber sighed, "To be lectured by my young Master...this night certainly brings surprises with it. Especially that claim that you could have overpowered me." Her smile seemed slightly condescending but Ichigo let it slide for now: he had gotten used to it for two years. After all, as far as she knew he couldn't even keep up with her when she held back. She relaxed just a tiny bit, reverting to her usual cool demeanor, "I should be used to hunting for uncivilized barbarians afraid to face me in battle, but it seems that the last few days of cowering inside a small apartment has affected me more than I would like to admit."

Orange hair shifted again in the wind, brushing across Ichigo's vision. He nodded in agreement, resetting his features. For some reason, Saber had managed to worm her way into those he trusted in less than a week. The omni-present scowl only lifted in the presence of the dozen or so individuals that he trusted implicitly. And despite his misgivings about those dreams, Saber had made it onto that list. The similarities to Aizen sent no warning bells through his mind, for he could not identify them, but the very fact that there **were** similarities should have made this difficult.

He hated Aizen with all of his being, he knew he did. That was stated fact confirmed many times over in the past two and a half years.

Ichigo just stopped thinking. It was easier that way. The sound of screeching tires and metal from behind them certainly helped distract him. If it didn't make him feel bad, he'd even be thankful that the driver had crashed.

Both he and Saber jerked around towards the source of the noise. His blond-haired partner/protector went right back to determinedly surveying the surroundings while Ichigo puzzled out just what had happened. A handful of cars had piled up behind a big tractor-trailer that had jack-knifed across the avenue that pierced the heart of Shinto.

He heard Saber when she inched closer to him and drew her invisible weapon, "That was no coincidence."

Ichigo turned around and noticed that there were two cop cars already diverting traffic away from the area. That, and a tall man had suddenly appeared on the sidewalk in front of them.

The stranger was dressed in primarily white, his face shadowed by a hood that reminded Ichigo of a beak. His clothing was archaic, almost Shakespearean in design. A brownish cloak covered his left side, affixed to his chest by a leather shoulder guard. The rest of his outfit had embroidered designs that reflected the lights of the city with a faint silvery glow, especially the strange metal symbol belted to his front.

The man's dress indicated his status as a Servant. He addressed them with faintly accented Japanese, "I take offense to being named a barbarian."

Saber interposed herself between Ichigo and the strangely attired newcomer, who shook his head slightly, tutting, "Ah, I apologize. I can understand why you might consider me uncivilized if I forget something so simple as my manners."

He bowed, cape flourishing with the elegant movement, "My name is Ezio Auditore da Firenze, Servant Assassin."

Saber openly gaped, before her mouth snapped shut and she narrowed her eyes, "You lie."

Even in the shadows, the roguish grin revealed shining white teeth, "I see you do not recognize the name. Well, anonymity is the mark of a proper Assassin, that his works not be widely known."

This time Ichigo answered, "There are more of you."

Ezio's grin turned into a smile, brown eyes gaining a sudden glow, "Indeed there are. I was merely sent to make sure that you did not run away."

Saber growled in response, "As if a Saber would flee from a cowardly Assassin, no matter your numbers."

"You would do well to not understimate us. Our Order has shaped the course of history in ways that your brief existence cannot even fathom, Hero." The smile disappeared, replaced by a dangerous frown. The brown eyes shone brighter under the cowl.

Before Ichigo could react, Saber rushed forwards, her armor forming in mid-flight. To Ichigo's eyes, she seemed to dissapear and reappear in front of the Assassin, clothes miraculously changed. Surprisingly, or maybe not, Ezio reacted, a blade seeming to shoot out of thin air and into his waiting hand. Like a hail of ice hitting the roof of a car, the two engaged each other in the dance of war.

Ichigo stood his ground, half a mind on the forms that vanished and reappeared in twists and flourishes, separated by a storm of steel. The rest of his attention was reserved for his surroundings and the area just behind Saber. These were assassins, and distractions were a favored pastime of theirs.

The street had been emptied by this point, the police studiously ignoring the superhuman battle to the death occuring only twenty meters away. Even the buildings nearby seemed to be overlooking the frenzied combat, all of the lights within extinguished and leaving only a few street lamps and the flashing lights of police cars to illuminate the area.

The situation unnerved Ichigo, but he trusted Ishida to keep watch and catch any attack before it happened.

The voice of Ezio puncuated the ringing steel of the clash, "You know, this blade was used by a friend and colleague of mine. He was a good man, and a better Assassin."

Saber continued her relentless assault, and Ichigo was surprised that he could at least keep track of their moving forms now, even if he could not define the shape or precise movements. The two Servants seemingly ignored everything around them, their attacks aimed unerringly for one another around parked cars and small trees. Even the glass buildings became a battleground, the two defying physics to stand sideways and continue their bout.

"I highly doubt that an Assassin could be an honorable man, but I admit that your skill surprises me. You would make for a good Saber if you were stronger." The tone of begrudging admiration in Saber's voice surprised Ichigo. As far as he knew, anything with the name "Assassin" in it raised considerable ire in the swordswoman. In the past few days she had even broken her composure once or twice to curse the Assassins in her native language.

The clashing of steel redoubled and the two Servants moved out of Ichigo's ability to keep track of them, "You know, for a supposed Knight class, you are an astonishingly rude woman. To insult a man you have never met, especially one who never once backed down from his enemies and only fell to a knife in the back. I know not what historical hero you are, but whatever your name I have lost a lot of respect for you."

* * *

Bazzet ignored her Servant.

_I can't believe that my childhood hero is this ridiculous._

"You know you want to! It will make the fight that much better!"

_And he is really bad at convincing others to follow his lead._

"I think it's Saber that's fighting. If you do it I'll give you a chance to go after her Master!"

_Damn him._

"If the car gets wrecked you _will_ be finding a way to pay for it."

Lancer barked a laugh, "Admit it, you think it'll be exciting too."

* * *

Saber dodged a downwards slash, flicking her blade to the side to impede the Assassin's efforts to redirect his blow. She followed up with a straight rush, overpowering him with a flash use of Prana Burst. She had to be careful and conserve her mana with her Master unable to provide for her, but this man was insulting.

Every movement, every facial expression, and his very existence: all of it was an insult to her pride.

No Assassin should take pride in his work, for his very job is to strike others down without engaging in battle, striking from the shadows with no honor or true skill. The capability to stab someone in the back was not a skill, it was a disgusting twist of the concept of politics and warfare.

Yet this man, whom her instincts told her had participated in the cowardly ambush several days ago, **dared** to pretend that he was a respectable warrior.

His skill with the blade did nothing but increase her ire.

What right did this man have to make a mockery of straightforward combat; going so far as to openly admit that he was doing nothing but distract them. He wasn't even actively participating in the fight until she insulted his fellow Assassin!

She would crush his worthless little ego, and all of his allies too. The very idea of a network of Assassins, whatever age they existed in, made her wrinkle her nose.

_Honor among thieves, how quaint._

These men had confined her to a small room for days by threatening the lives of _little girls._ There would be no mercy from her._  
_

But no matter how hard she tried, every lightning fast stab and powerful, two-handed slash was either redirected or avoided. He couldn't match her strength or speed, but no matter what she tried not a single cut marred his strange attire. It was as if he moved before she even began to consider an attack.

A streetlight would appear in front of her blade, slowing the swing for just a millisecond. He would leap over a car, kicking off in such a way that her own leap carried her past him. A small curb would unsettle her stance just enough for him to avoid being decapitated, or the flashing of blue and red lights would obscure his form long enough for him to slip out of reach. Every swing seemed to miss by a miracle, regardless of the level of skill or speed involved.

That didn't even include his effortless ability to block her invisible sword, as if he already knew where and how long it was

This man, Ezio, was no slouch. His skill with the blade was nearly a match for many of her own Knights of the Round. He could not keep up with her own straightforward but precise movements, but something seemed to give him that extra boost to match her.

Her eyes were drawn increasingly to the blade he used.

The man had no special equipment, no armor, and no daggers indicative of an assassin. He was not in any way prepared to face a Heroic Spirit head-on.

_But that sword_, a little voice told her, _is all he needs._

Her well-honed intuition had never failed her before, and she doubted that it would now of all times.

It was a curved blade, clearly of good make. It would have to be, to match her Excalibur. The hilt was intricately shaped from the same metal as the blade itself, joining directly with the short straight section of the weapon. Excalibur exceeded the length of the other sword, but that didn't really bother her opponent. A tight coil ended the handle, securing the grip of the wielder.

Yes, that sword was the problem. A Noble Phantasm, no doubt.

Which greatly confused her, as the eighteen leaders of the Hashshashin were known for body modifications, not legendary weapons.

The class could be different, but the attitude and earlier fights meant that this was Assassin, or one of them.

Unless they were allied with another class, or otherwise not engaged here? No, her instincts were not wrong.

Despite conserving her use of Prana Burst to true openings, she could not afford to waste time here. The other Assassins were doubtless waiting in the wings.

Over the cacophony of blade strikes, a new sound roared into existence. It was the sound of a high-end engine, used in a sports car of some kind. Saber retreated, blasting her opponent back and jumping down to the ground from the lamppost they had both been standing on. Taking the chance she had made, she glanced over to see a surreal sight.

There was a blue Ferrari sailing through the air at them, and Lancer stood atop it, cursed red lance held behind him and a hungry light in his eyes.

* * *

Ichigo stared at the ridiculous action movie sequence.

_There's no way in hell that car got so much air naturally. And how is it going to survive hitting the ground?_

_Right, magic. Still shouldn't work._

His inner rant broke off when the car slammed down to create a bow wave of sparks, Lancer already sailing through the air with his spear aimed right for Saber. A confusing flurry of motion in the corner of his eyes informed him of the opening engagement between the two Servants, Assassin standing off to the side.

With his attention diverted, he didn't see a thing until a there was a loud *crack* behind him. Whirling, he was met with the cowled face of another Assassin. He couldn't see it, but he knew for a fact that Ishida had come through for him.

The Assassin was busy whirling around, just slow enough for Ichigo to keep up with his eyes. Pits and cracks appeared in the pavement, probably the result of the rain of arrows that Ishida loved to use.

Ichigo lost the chance to really admire the grace of the Servant when a visible streak of light shot straight for him. He instinctively moved his head to the side, but it proved unnecessary when the projectile got deflected in a shower of sparks.

The sounds of combat suddenly became the sounds of all out warfare. Numerous figures began to appear all around the area, sticking to buildings, opening windows, standing on roofs, and melting out of the ground. Nearly all wore white, though a number wore darker colors or distinctive armors.

Knives and bullets swarmed the air, easily numbering in the dozens. The sheer chaos of sparking clashes and rapid impacts made it impossible for Ichigo to make sense of or track a single trajectory.

His instincts again screamed at him, still active even in the middle of a warzone, and a fist passed by his head. Ichigo had barely escaped a knockout blow.

The attacker moved with speed on the level with many of the Assassins darting about, avoiding any fatal blows from outside while still focusing on Ichigo. If it weren't for his impressive reaction time and Ishida's cover, Ichigo knew he wouldn't last a second.

As it was, he ended up forced backwards, Seele Schneider activated the instant the lightshow started.

Step in, swing, block (Holy hell she's strong!), roll with the landing, deflect, jump onto the car, duck.

Ichigo suspected that Ishida had saved his ass a dozen times over in the past thirty seconds. Somehow, the Assassins were being driven away, and even the woman in front of him looked to be slowing. Ichigo wasn't sure why Ishida couldn't force her off, but figured that the number of enemies, combined with the fact that Ichigo seemed to be taking care of himself, let the archer prioritize.

He also got the hint that the properties of his sword were the only thing that saved him, since he knew he wasn't strong enough to stand up to someone who crumpled steel and shattered concrete when she missed.

The two paused for a breather, surrounded by a street that was slowly getting chipped away to nothing and storefronts that resembled Swiss cheese. An entire city block looked like it was being put to death by a thousand cuts.

Ichigo took the second to recognize his attacker, "Hey! You're that lady I ran into when the Hollow was chasing me!"

The woman growled at him, fists raising back up, "And you're the knacker that hijacked my summoning ritual. And how what the hell is going on here. We should be dead!"

Both flinched when a large, spinning knife passed right behind her head, getting holed by an unseen arrow that had been aiming for the woman's side.

Ichigo shook his head, "This is completely out of hand," he breathed. "Hey lady! You want to go back to back so we don't get stabbed?"

"Don't you 'lady' me, punk!" Her eyes promised him a painful death, but Ichigo was distracted by the combat going on around him.

The two dozen Assassins who initiated the ambush had scattered all over the area. Some held up bows, others drew throwing knives, one even held a short javelin that he spun fast enough to make it look like a solid shield. The vast majority had disappeared from the area, racing up and atop the buildings in the direction that Ishida had set up shop. Only 9 remained nearby, two engaged in a furious battle with Saber and Lancer. The other 7 were making a concerted effort to get at Ichigo, but seemed to be protecting his purple-haired opponent.

Ichigo would have suspected an alliance, except the woman seemed way to confused by the situation. Not to mention that neither Lancer nor his Master struck him as the types to sit around and wait to go after enemies.

With only 7 Assassins currently fighting in the area, Ichigo could keep track of roughly a quarter of the projectiles. He saw little more than small distortions and streaks in the air, but he was glad that at least one Servant battle was within his abilities to keep up with.

The situation pretty much implied that Ishida was better than he had been. A lot better.

He returned his attention to the professional looking fighter across from him, scoffing, "Look, we don't have time for this. If we're not careful we'll get a knife slipped into our ribs."

She glowered at him but slipped forwards, stance shifting to guard against outside attacks.

As the two closed, her dark tone made Ichigo break out in a cold sweat, "Don't think I've forgiven you for stealing my work. And don't die, I want to finish you myself. The long way."

Ichigo grunted in response. He took note of the fact that the Assassins were now targeting the both of them. His intuition had been correct. Thank god for hazy, half thought-out decisions.

The woman behind him stood firm in the face of the combat beyond her, but he could hear a slight undertone of wonder and fear in her voice-and a slight undertone of contempt for him-"Is Archer around here or something? I can't even see his arrows, but he's fighting all of the Assassins at once."

Now standing facing opposite directions, the two surveyed the avenue, still lit by flashing police lights.

Somehow, the crowds that should have gathered, and the police that should have tried to intervene, were still absent. The wreck down the street was being cleaned up as they waited, tow trucks and ambulances parked nearby. Not even ten minutes had passed since the crash.

All of the workers completely ignored the chaos overhead and around them.

The two primary Servants and two Assassins fighting them were little more than a whirlwind of sparks and sudden afterimages. Ichigo could easily see the fight being fast enough to match the Captains in Soul Society.

He could only hope that Saber got out just fine.

* * *

Saber took note of the fact that Ichigo seemed to have come to a truce with Lancer's Master. If only she could do the same with Lancer himself.

The blue spearman seemed determined to cut her down before the two Assassins got the chance.

When Lancer had bore down on her with all the fury of an angry wolf, she'd been forced to give ground. The momentum that a near supersonic body carried outmatched even her Prana Burst enhanced strength.

Then a flood of Assassins had materialized all over the area, and faint blue lights had begun to come down like sheet rain in the tropics. Saber couldn't really distinguish the arrows, much like she hadn't been able to spot that Hollow that Ichigo had been fleeing from when he summoned her, yet she got the feeling that her 'spiritual sight' had been improved by close proximity to the boy's friends.

That all became a secondary concern when a second Assassin joined in against her and Lancer, and this one was certainly stronger and faster than Ezio. He also wore incredibly tough armor, judging by his ignoring several fatal strikes and simply letting them spark off his chest or stomach.

His skill with the sword equaled the other Assassin, but the speed of his blows made him a far greater challenge. Then again, Ezio had never once taken a blow, his ridiculous luck seeing to that. Or the sword itself. Saber's suspicions still ran strong.

The four way melee with occasional interfering potshots took all of her concentration to keep up with. She outclassed all of her opponents, two by a wide margin, but each had a unique style that made it very hard to concentrate on one or the other. Not to mention that it was technically three way, the two Assassins switching targets seamlessly.

A red barb scrapped her armored wrist, diverting a slash meant to take Lancer's head. She twisted to avoid a pair of knives that shot for her heart and right eye, pushing off of the sword aimed to cripple her leg. Invisible Air sparked as it met the blood red haft of Lancer's weapon, her green eyes locking with the wild red of the fierce warrior.

As one, both spun past each other, intercepting blows by the two Assassins. A small knife tagged her knee and embedding itself in the joint, slowing her progress. With a snarl, she shoved Ezio off hard enough for him to slam into a car and send it careening across the sidewalk and into the office building behind him.

A contemptuous swish of her sword dislodged the offending steel, letting her leg move freely, if a bit slower.

She leaped forwards, avoiding a swing from Lancer that cracked a line of pavement where she had been. Saber appreciated the wild man. A fierce and unpredictable warrior he was, but at least he didn't strike at her from behind.

That was for the Assassins to do.

Ezio's sword fended off her own weapon, the man trapped in the wreckage and scattered cubicles of the building. Saber's lips twitched up at finally trapping the elusive fighter, but she returned to her usual stoic demeanor when she made no headway.

In defiance of all logic and reason, the Assassin stood firm against her assault. Saber knew she outclassed him in every category, as she'd gathered his abilities over the course of the fight. She was significantly stronger and hardier than he, and his speed couldn't keep up with hers.

Yet every blow got blocked.

It was impossible, it was unreasonable, and it was happening.

He was not more skilled than her! It was obvious in the way the two clashed. Every counter attack or deflection he used got superseded by her own. Not a single one of his sallies had managed to make it within a foot of her body, yet she Could. Not. Win.

Only luck and general evasion had let him survive against her, but now that he was trapped, she could no longer push him back the way she so effortlessly did beforehand.

She could not go for a direct strength contest. Her speed was restricted by his web of steel and the surrounding area. Even when she overrode his counters and made a counter of her own, Invisible Air slipped just past his body, harming not a hair.

_How! There has to be a reason!_

The sword caught the reflected light of the street behind her, as if mocking her with its answer.

A swish of air and blaring alarm in her head alerted her to danger. A quick leap to the side and she avoided the blade poised to cut her in half.

Lancer came to a stop nearby, "Sorry, Saber. Couldn't finish the guy off and he managed to get me off balance and get over here. As fun as this fight is, I want to finish my duel with you."

The two Assassins stood ready, one still inside the holed building and the other standing guard outside. Saber couldn't help but feel that was a bad thing.

A loud, merry laugh echoed from the building, "Altair, my friend, I'm afraid that I will have to borrow your sword. Your armor, though, I will leave alone."

The second Assassin smiled a grim smile, "You know, I'm surprised that none of you ever managed to use my Sabre. It was much better than the sword gifted to me when I was still young and naive."

Ezio walked out of the building, no longer clad in his white outfit and brown cape.

A dark red hood completely shadowed his face, no expression or glimmer of eyes visible. A light gray fur wrapped around his shoulders, a silver aquila fixing the furs to the armor plating on his right shoulder. The red cape was thrown back, revealing an arm wrapped in dulled steel. The solid silver metal of the breastplate shone in the yellow lights of the streetlamps, the periodic flashes of blue and red wrapping his legs in shadow.

A long silver blade was held in his right hand, a crossguard shaped like the wings of an eagle glowing faintly with moonlight. His left held a leaf bladed dagger in a reverse grip. Palpable bloodlust emanated from the short weapon.

Saber narrowed her eyes. She had been right, the sword he used had some sort of effect that let him survive her onslaught.

She could only guess what these new weapons and the armor could do, but she trusted her Instinct skill to warn her of anything deadly.

A quick glance confirmed that Ichigo was okay. There were still a half-dozen Assassins flitting about, but they posed little threat to her. She could only guess at Ishida's condition, but judging by the fact that arrows still came down periodically, he was fighting out there somewhere, keeping track of both battles.

Both Assassin's charged.

Saber again found herself facing Ezio, but he was different, much different.

He was now fast enough to go on the offensive, and the use of two weapons clearly agreed with him. His flurry of swipes and stabs managed to hold her considerable strength at bay, and every time she attempted to dig in and force him back he would move around her, forcing her position to shift and throwing her off balance.

His skill did not allow him to pressure her, but he was no longer completely on the defensive.

Unfortunately for him, his stamina was not up to defeating King Arthur, the legendary King of Knights.

It took only a minute of high paced combat, but Saber began to get decisive cuts in. One blow that would have taken the assassin's head off carved a furrow in his forearm, breaking the armor he wore and reducing his speed with the dagger.

Finally, a straight on battle without strange effects, though he still deftly evaded everything she threw.

The strain began to tell as his dodges slowed and he got worn progressively down until he could no longer move freely, pressed on all sides by the invisible blade. He no longer judged the length and position as perfectly as before, his deflection and counters twisted just wrong or missing just so.

Saber smiled, she would get to pound the Assassin into the dirt. Lancer could be dealt with afterwards.

And then there was a spike of deadly intent.

The dagger in Ezio's hand glowed with a faint red sheen, the bloody light dripping from the blade with every slash and stab.

Saber's instincts screamed and clamored, and her every effort went to knocking the red thing away.

Ezio spoke in a low voice, "Dagger of Brutus: Idibus Martiis Liberatores."

In an instant, the short blade twisted. Twenty-three hazy phantoms appeared, surrounding Saber in a ring of bloody steel.

She recognized every face. To the right of the Assassin stood Lancelot, her most trusted Knight. On her left stood Sir Kay, her foster brother. Across from him stood Guinevere, the woman that agreed to marry her for the sake of the Kingdom.

And there was Sir Gawain, and Sir Percival, and Sir Galahad, and Bors, and Bedivere, Yvain, Tristram, Pellinor, Erec, Mordred.

Twenty-three people she had known in life, twenty-three people who pledged themselves to her or followed her or aided her in some way.

And each face was twisted with such fury as to make her heart freeze and burn and tear all at the same time.

The hate tore her soul out, broke her spirit, and crushed her will to fight; for it was all her fault.

These men had fought and sacrificed for her. Her wife had chosen to never freely love a man to support her reign.

And each ended up dead or broken at Arturia's feet, unable to go on alongside the King who could not understand her people.

Even as the daggers descended, a voice, the voice of her Master, rang out, "Saber!"

That's right. She had a job to do, people to save from the very fates that these wraiths bemoaned and cursed. Her life had been a failure, a cosmic joke that someone like _her_ could be the Once and Future King. She would win the Grail so that her fate, and more importantly the fate of her country, could change.

She leapt into the air, her legs needing no time to tense and her body moving before a single dagger could make contact. She was a pillar of blue and silver, beyond mortal ken. Her speed should have been impossible, her feet should have sunk straight into the concrete and locked her in place, but instead she rocketed upwards like a bullet from a gun.

The maw of iron, the trap of deadly treachery summoned from Rome to Japan and applied to Arturia instead of Julius, snapped shut below her feet.

Instead of surprise or annoyance, Ezio's face was calm. He pointed his sword at Saber, "Eagle's Hunt."

A front of wind, sharp and deadly, sheered out of the silver weapon faster than any fury conjured by nature. The wind did not howl in its form, so much as it screeched, the screech of scraping blades and hunting birds. Even tens of meters away the breeze could be felt but that was nothing to the sheer contained force within the attack itself.

Saber spun in the air, invisible sword straightening in her grip as if to pierce down the throat of the Eagle that stretched its wings and talons to catch her.

Another roar, one of unbridled ferocity and strength, came upon the battered avenue. A hurricane carrying with it the force of a war god's hammer met a jet stream with all the deadly intent of an eagle. Two unrelenting forces slammed together and along with the torrent of noise and force came a light, a small sun revealed on the earth. Even the clash of elemental power seemed to pause for a moment, the two unstoppable winds stalling against each other.

Not a single eye, not even the eyes of the bewildered police and bystanders, missed the unveiling of the Sword of Assured Victory.

The moment ended with ten times the fury with which it started, the two winds meeting and propelling Saber into the air faster than a missile in flight. Her collision with the wall bent steel and shattered glass, but she traveled no further into the building.

Down below, Ezio paused, staring open mouthed at his opponent. The confused police and few pedestrians who stood near the invisible boundaries of the battlefield shook their heads, peering at where the sword had appeared for a brief moment in dazed confusion. Even the half dozen Assassins who had been circling the battle halted in their motions, to surprised to continue looking for an opening.

Saber glance around, cursing inwardly that her identity had been revealed to so many foes.

From the street, a long, loud laugh echoed through the valley formed by the buildings on either side, "I get to fight the King of Knights the moment I'm summoned! And then I get to fight her again while fending off a bunch of Assassins! This has to be the greatest fight I've ever had!"

The voice of Lancer began to bring everyone back to earth, but it was to little to late for the spear-bearer's target.

* * *

Ichigo stood directly behind Bazett, even her professional demeanor broken for an instant.

That sword really was magnificent, to do what it did with nothing more than an instant of its partially revealed glory. When Saber had unsealed her blade to counter the wind attack, Ichigo had briefly felt that thrill of battle once more. The heady sense of power that came with besting an opponent had returned to him, battering against his mental walls once more.

For an instant, he'd been standing on a dusty and battered plateau, above a city of white and brown buildings that perfectly symbolized the might of the resident military. He could feel the rush that came of knowing that he had won, that he had faced that mighty force and crushed it by its own rules.

All at the same time, he floated in the desert, holding up his battered foe and knowing that he had protected his friend. The hot winds that drifted through the massive palace blew through his hair once again, the tempest increased by the energies that he and his enemy had released in their epic battle.

The greatest of his victories were laid out before him, and he missed the straightforward nature of those duels. Being able to focus on a single enemy and knowing that all he had to do was win and everything would work out: he missed that.

As soon as the wind had once more retreated to cover the blade, the reality had come smashing back down.

He remembered kneeling in his own blood, unable to even move to strike at the arrogant man who threatened the girl he had given so much to save.

He remembered watching his foe, a hollow and a man that he had respected in his own way, get cut down by a comrade.

Then came the image of the half-dead yet still bored looking bat who had represented his greatest obstacle, and the friend who stood at his side lying against the rubble of an indistinct, barely remembered battle that ended with Ichigo's own sword embedded in his friend's stomach.

And then learning that all of his fighting had been in vain, and that not even sacrificing his own power had been enough to stop the loss.

He chanced a glance at the purple-haired woman, her back still to him. It would be so easy to be proactive, to end the battle right here and now. There would be no chance of an unexpected loss, and he wouldn't have to watch his back for yet another dangerous enemy. Hell, he'd already killed before, even if it had been unintentional or forced.

She was nigh-unstoppable monster or no drugged-up and delirious cage fighter, but she was trying to kill him just as hard as the poor schmuck the bosses had thrown into the ring with Ichigo. When a person's head hit the ground hard enough to knock them out, more often than not they didn't get up again.

_No. Then I'd be no better than that smug sunnovabitch. I won't go there._

He looked back to Saber, who still stood sideways against the building where she'd landed from the rebound of whatever it was that the two Servants had thrown at each other.

The battle kind of worried him. Saber had been winning, clearly having the upper-hand. Ichigo had been mildly surprised when he began to get a sense for how her fight was going, especially since they were still indistinct blurs. Some sort of instinct or outside source had begun to help Ichigo understand the battle without actually being witness to it. Whatever the source, it had let Ichigo keep up, tracking the fight even as he deflected the few weapons that had started to get through Ishida's interceptions.

The lessening of the Quincy's intercepting arrows had not gone unnoticed, and both Ichigo and Bazett had been forced to mostly ignore the rest of the world to focus on the daggers and arrows that shot towards them.

Ichigo was just thankful that his eyes had begun to adjust to high-speed fighting again, even if the weaker Servants were the only ones he could keep track of.

He had never been more thankful for that insight than when he had felt the world freeze. Out of the corner of his eyes he had spotted Saber and her opponent, both standing just within arm's reach of each other. Around Saber, extending in a circle from the Assassin, Ezio, floated nearly two-dozen silvery-gray people, smoky and indistinct.

But what had frozen the world, and lit everything up with indescribable heat at the same instant, had been that same intuition that kept him informed of the battle's progress.

He could feel Saber's state, and it had shaken him to his core. No real thought had passed through his mind, no life-changing realization or instantaneous clarity; instead, Ichigo had merely let loose the only thing that came naturally to him.

After losing his mother to a hollow when he was young, he couldn't do anything to change the reality. He had been to young and powerless to do anything. When he finally got his shinigami powers, he had protected his friends with that newfound strength, facing up to opponents who could rip the world around them asunder under the sheer weight of their own existence. Now, he was once again powerless to do anything of real value, barely able to protect himself.

But his Servant had frozen not because of some outside force, but because something had shut her down and halted her thoughts in their tracks.

He could help that in a fairly simple way, if he was lucky. He yelled her name, jolting her thoughts back on track. Even with barely an instant to spare, that had been enough to get her out of harms way.

That feeling from the momentary lapse was something he knew well, a rush of emotions so numerous and powerful that nothing was clear and everything was closing in, to much to bear. She was back to being calm and collected, ready to do battle once more, but there was something in that moment that had nearly broken her.

Ichigo could only wonder just what it was.

He started at the loud exclamation of Lancer, who had gotten more excited and more ruthless as the fight went on.

Even more unexpected than the shouted statement, though, was his next action.

For Ichigo, nothing really seemed to happen. It was like watching a shunpo before he had learned how to keep track of the unpredictable movements himself. The fact that the Servant could move that fast without the distinct advantages that the technique offered spoke volumes for his potential maximum speed.

To the other Servants, who were only paying half-attention, there was probably a blue and red blur, aiming straight for the surprised Ezio. Even the extra speed that had let him match Saber did little to protect him from the random assault.

Ichigo saw mostly a red half moon where Ezio's arm used to be, a momentary illusion that was replaced by the rapidly retreating Assassin.

The red half moon was joined by a red thunderbolt, spearing straight through the Assassin's heart.

Lancer laughed aloud, dumping the impaled body of the Assassin on the ground, "He should've paid more attention in the middle of a death match. I can't believe the Assassins were the ones to forget about surprise attacks."

Saber dropped to the ground nearby, her sword at the ready. From what Ichigo could see, her narrowed eyes indicated disapproval of the circumstances. Across from her stood the other Assassin, whose name Ichigo had forgotten by now. He too had rather annoyed eyes, more angry really.

All of that became a moot point when Lancer crouched, his spear held diagonally behind him. He growled, a low, inhuman sound that permeated the suddenly cold and motionless atmosphere.

Nearby, the cleanup crews that had nearly finished removing the wrecks from the road froze, unable to contain the instincts that suddenly screamed that to move invited certain death. Even the street lights, the few that remained standing, flickered off for a brief second under the unnatural aura.

Ichigo recognized the feeling of imminent death, the promise of horrific injury that emanated from the blue-haired fighter as strong as that emitted by Kenpachi Zaraki when he had hunted Ichigo in Seireitei.

From where the orange-haired teen stood, he could only see the moment of brief worry that flitted across Saber's face before the back of Lancer disappeared in a blur.

The pressure did not let up, nor did the imminent feel of danger. The only possible outcome was death, and now everyone present was merely waiting for death to choose.

"Gae-"

* * *

A/N: I hope the first real action chapter was to everyone's liking. I fell into the trap of explaining split-second decisions with paragraphs of descriptions, but it's really fun to do that. Oh well.


End file.
